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Books > Philosophy > Western philosophy > Modern Western philosophy, c 1600 to the present > Western philosophy, from c 1900 - > General
Green Matters offers a fascinating insight into the regenerative
function of literature with regard to environmental concerns. Based
on recent developments in ecocriticism, the book demonstrates how
the aesthetic dimension of literary texts makes them a vital force
in the struggle for sustainable futures. Applying this
understanding to individual works from a number of different
thematic fields, cultural contexts and literary genres, Green
Matters presents novel approaches to the manifold ways in which
literature can make a difference. While the first sections of the
book highlight the transnational, the focus on Canada in the last
section allows a more specific exploration of how themes, genres
and literary forms develop their own manifestations within a
national context. Through its unifying ecocultural focus and its
variegated approaches, the volume is an essential contribution to
contemporary environmental humanities.
Nietzsche's famous attack upon established Christianity and
religion is brought to the reader in this superb hardcover edition
of The Antichrist, introduced and translated by H.L. Mencken. The
incendiary tone throughout The Antichrist separates it from most
other well-regarded philosophical texts; even in comparison to
Nietzsche's earlier works, the tone of indignation and conviction
behind each argument made is evident. There is little lofty
ponderousness; the book presents its arguments and points at a
blistering pace, placing itself among the most accessible and
comprehensive works of philosophy. The Antichrist comprises a total
of sixty-two short chapters, each with distinct philosophical
arguments or angle upon the targets of Christianity, organised
religion, and those who masquerade as faithful but are in actuality
anything but. Pointedly opposed to notions of Christian morality
and virtue, Nietzsche vehemently sets out a case for the faith's
redundancy and lack of necessity in human life.
Author of Motherless Brooklyn and The Fortress of Solitude,
Jonathan Lethem is one of the most celebrated and significant
American writers working today. This new scholarly study draws on a
deep knowledge of all Lethem's work to explore the range of his
writing, from his award-winning fiction to his work in comics and
criticism. Reading Lethem in relation to five themes crucial to his
work, Joseph Brooker considers influence and intertextuality; the
role of genres such as crime, science fiction and the Western; the
imaginative production of worlds; superheroes and comic book
traditions; and the representation of New York City. Close readings
of Lethem's fiction are contextualized by reference to broader
conceptual and comparative frames, as well as to Lethem's own
voluminous non-fictional writing and his adaptation of precursors
from Franz Kafka to Raymond Chandler. Rich in critical insight,
Jonathan Lethem and the Galaxy of Writing demonstrates how an
understanding of this author illuminates contemporary literature
and culture at large.
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