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Rhetorics of Fantasy
Rhetorics of Fantasy
Rhetorics of Fantasy
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Rhetorics of Fantasy

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Transcending arguments over the definition of fantasy literature, Rhetorics of Fantasy introduces a provocative new system of classification for the genre. Utilizing nearly two hundred examples of modern fantasy, author Farah Mendlesohn uses this system to explore how fiction writers construct their fantastic worlds. Mendlesohn posits four categories of fantasy—portal-quest, immersive, intrusion, and liminal—that arise out of the relationship of the protagonist to the fantasy world. Using these sets, Mendlesohn argues that the author's stylistic decisions are then shaped by the inescapably political demands of the category in which they choose to write. Each chapter covers at least twenty books in detail, ranging from nineteenth-century fantasy and horror to extensive coverage of some of the best books in the contemporary field. Offering a wide-ranging discussion and penetrating comparative analysis, Rhetorics of Fantasy will excite fans and provide a wealth of material for scholarly and classroom discussion.

Includes discussion of works by over 100 authors, including Lloyd Alexander, Peter Beagle, Marion Zimmer Bradley, John Crowley, Stephen R. Donaldson, Stephen King, C. S. Lewis, Gregory Maguire, Robin McKinley, China Miéville, Suniti Namjoshi, Philip Pullman, J. K. Rowling, Sheri S. Tepper, J. R. R. Tolkien, Tad Williams

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJan 1, 2014
ISBN9780819573919
Rhetorics of Fantasy

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is an academic book and may not be an easy read for non-academics, however I feel it was well worth the effort. Farah Mendlesohn's analysis of different modes of fantasy is insightful and illuminating.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Farah Mendelsohn is part of a growing community of academics specialising in genre literature, attempting to elucidate questions concerning what this area of fiction says about our philosophies of life, society and the individual, just as academics and literary commentators have done more generally for centuries.University libraries abound with thoughtful titles such as 'Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts' and 'Foundation: the International Review of Science Fiction' analysing what gives horror, fantasy and science fiction their enduring power to beguile and entertain us. This book, by contrast, is an attempt to bridge the divide between ivory-tower theorising and mainstream essays on genre fiction by non-university based authors who are also massive fans of genre fiction and also know every detail of it inside and out.There's a school of thought that we should enjoy genre fiction without overtly analysing it. What makes children's fantasy so delightful or a great horror tale so toe-curlingly uncomfortable to endure is best left undisturbed for the subconscious to figure out in its own time. They just are, somehow, and we are lucky to have them. On the other hand, almost all areas of human endeavour are subject to academic analysis so this was bound to happen sooner or later, and if we are going to examine the rationalities and psychologies behind genre fiction, it should be done rigorously by experts and that is certainly the case here.I enjoyed this book for its thoroughness and its inclusion of diverse voices and for its extensive coverage of children's fiction, which I really love.

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Rhetorics of Fantasy - Farah Mendlesohn

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