Synopses & Reviews
This comprehensive study of A. S. Byatts work spans virtually her entire career and offers insightful readings of all of Byatts works of fiction up to and including her Man-Booker-shortlisted novel The Childrens Book (2009). The authors combine an accessible overview of Byatts oeuvre to date with close critical analysis of all her major works. Uniquely, the book considers Byatts critical writings and journalism, situating her beyond the immediate context of her fiction. The authors argue that Byatt is not only important as a storyteller, but also as an eminent critic and public intellectual. Advancing the concept of "critical storytelling" as a hallmark of Byatts project as a writer, the authors retrace Byatts wide-ranging engagement with both literary and critical traditions. This results in positioning Byatt in the wider literary landscape. This book has broad appeal, including fellow researchers, undergraduate and postgraduate students, plus general enthusiasts of Byatts work.
Synopsis
This stimulating and comprehensive study of A. S. Byatt's work spans virtually her entire career and offers insightful readings of all of Byatt's fictions up to and including The Children's Book (2009). The authors also consider her role as a critic, cultural commentator and public intellectual.
About the Author
Alexa Alfer is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Modern and Applied Languages at the University of Westminster, England. Amy Edwards de Campos completed her doctorate at Worcester College, Oxford, and now works at the University of East London, England.
Table of Contents
Introduction * Fathers, Sisters and the Anxiety of Influence: The Shadow of the Sun and The Game * Writing the Contemporary: The Virgin in the Garden and Still Life * Two Cultures: Babel Tower and A Whistling Woman * Tradition and Transformation: Possession and Fairy Tales * The Dark Side of the Tale: The Childrens Book, The Biographers Tale and Angels and Insects * Critical Storytelling: Peopling the Paper House * Bibliography