Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
The first comprehensive history of magical treasure hunting from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, revealing a magical universe of treasure spirits, and wizards who tried to deal with them. Combining history and anthropology, this study sees treasure hunting as an expression of shifting economic mentalities and changing ideas about history.
Synopsis
Crossing Boundaries examines experimental novels about travel by William Gaddis and Thomas Pynchon as precursors of innovative contemporary travel narratives, represented by the work of authors such as Bruce Chatwin, William Least HeatMoon, and William T. Vollmann, among others. While these texts may be read as cultural criticism--functioning as a collective portrait of the world at a time when global space seems exhausted, dominated by multinational corporations and threatened with ecological devastation--they also serve as new Waldens.