An exploration of how espionage narratives give access to cultural
conceptions of gender and sexuality before and following the Second
World War, this book moves away from masculinist assumptions of the
genre to offer an integrative survey of the sexualities on display
from important characters across spy fiction. Topics covered
include how authors mocked the traditional spy genre; James Bond as
a symbol of pervasive British Superiority still anxious about
masculinity; how older female spies act as queer figures that
disturb the masculine mythology of the secret agent; and how the
clandestine lives of agents described ways to encode queer
communities under threat from fascism. Covering texts such as the
Bond novels, John Le Carré’s oeuvre (and their notable
adaptations) and works by Helen MacInnes, Christopher Isherwood and
Mick Herron, Sexuality and Gender in Fictions of Espionage takes
stock of spy fiction written by women, female protagonists written
by men, and probes the representations of masculinity generated by
male authors. Offering a counterpoint to a genre traditionally
viewed as male-centric, Sexuality and Gender in Fictions of
Espionage proposes a revision of masculinity, femininity, queer
identities and gendered concepts such as domesticity, and relates
them to notions of nationality and the defence work conducted at
crucial moments in history.
General
Imprint: |
Bloomsbury Academic
|
Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
Release date: |
December 2023 |
Editors: |
Ann Rea
(Associate Professor)
|
Dimensions: |
234 x 156mm (L x W) |
Format: |
Hardcover
|
Pages: |
256 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-350-27136-4 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
1-350-27136-5 |
Barcode: |
9781350271364 |
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!