Synopses & Reviews
The books first section provides useful distinctions between various types of dialogue, develops theoretical arguments, and empirically tests intriguing cases. The second half of the book presents in-depth readings of literary and artistic dialogues with well established canonical works, including Monty Pythons The Life of Brian, Jonathan Swifts distortion of Thomas Mores Utopia and some modern adaptations of Ovids Pygmalion, and provides an opportunity to examine the process by which dialogues contribute to a works reputation. Through its special blend of theoretical arguments, empirical methods and sensitive interpretations, Dialogues with/and Great Books offers a stimulating invitation to rethink the concepts of literary canon and intertextuality, as well as the intricate connections between the two.
Review
“In this outstanding study of literary greatness, David Fishelov adds depth to the existing theories of reception history and intertextuality. Recognizing the essential role of parody, re-writing, and adaptation in canon formation, Fishelov gives novel readings of familiar and less familiar dialogues. . . . The theoretical discussions and the close readings are enlightening and clearly written.” —Ken Frieden, author, Genius and Monologue
Synopsis
What is the source of a book's perceived greatness and why do certain books become part of the accepted canon? Dialogues with / and Great Books presents a fresh perspective on these questions. Against prevalent approaches, a work's reputation in terms of its aesthetic qualities ("the beauty view") or as the result of dictates by social hegemonies ("the power view"), author David Fishelov argues that the number and variety of echoes and dialogues a book generates - with readers, authors, translators, adaptors, artists, and critics - is the most important source of its perceived greatness. The first part of the book - What Is a Dialogue? What Is a Great Book - provides useful distinctions between different kinds of dialogue (genuine dialogue, dialogue-of-the-deaf, and echo-dialogue), develops theoretical arguments (why the dialogic approach is not circular), and empirically tests intriguing cases (why has Candide, and not Rasselas won the literary race for fame?). The second section - Ge
About the Author
David Fishelov is an associate professor of comparative literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the author of Like a Rainfall: Studies on Poetic Simile, Metaphors of Genres: The Role of Analogies in Genre Theories, and Samsons Locks: The Transformations of Biblical Samson.