Hans Bertens' The Idea of the Postmodern is the first introductory overview of postmodernism to succeed in providing a witty and accessibile guide to the sometimes befuddling subject. In clear, straight forward, and always elegant prose, Bertens sets out the interdisciplinary aspects, the critical debates, the historical development and the key theorists of postmodernism. He also explains, in thoughtful and illuminating language, the relationship between postmodernism and poststructuralism, lucidly distinguishing modernism from postmodernism through an examination of the fields of architecture, visual arts, and photography. Emphasizing the importance played by heterogeneity and difference in postmodern culture, Bertens carefully and adroitly defines the characteristics of postmodernism at every turn of the page.
Modernism (A Comparative History of Literatures in European Languages)
Edited by Astradur Eysteinsson and Vivian Liska
University of Iceland / University of Antwerp
With the assistance of Anke Brouwers, Vanessa Joosen, Nathan Van Camp, Dirk Van Hulle, Katrien Vloeberghs and Björn Thor Vilhjálmsson
Modernism has constituted one of the most prominent fields of literary studies for decades. While it was perhaps temporarily overshadowed by postmodernism, recent years have seen a resurgence of interest in modernism on both sides of the Atlantic. These volumes respond to a need for a collective and multifarious view of literary modernism in various genres, locations, and languages. Asking and responding to a wealth of theoretical, aesthetic, and historical questions, 65 scholars from several countries test the usefulness of the concept of modernism as they probe a variety of contexts, from individual texts to national literatures, from specific critical issues to broad cross-cultural concerns. While the chief emphasis of these volumes is on literary modernism, literature is seen as entering into diverse cultural and social contexts. These range from inter-art conjunctions to philosophical, environmental, urban, and political domains, including issues of race and space, gender and fashion, popular culture and trauma, science and exile, all of which have an urgent bearing on the poetics of modernity.
This guide helps readers to engage with the major critical debates surrounding literary modernism. A judicious selection of key critical works on literary modernism .
USA Literature in Brief pinpoints and
describes the contributions to American literature of some of the
best-recognized American poets, novelists, philosophers and dramatists
from pre-Colonial days through the present. Major literary figures are
discussed in detail, as are their major works. Brief discussions of
cultural periods and movements such as romanticism, modernism, and
transcendentalism put individuals in context and lend perspective. This
condensed version of Outline of American Literature highlights major
achievers and important works in the canon.
