Fictions of Infinity - Levinasian Ethics in 21st-Century Novels (Hardcover)

This study traces the connection of infinity and Levinasian ethics in 21st-century fiction. It tackles the paradox of how infinity can be (re-)presented in the finite space between the covers of a book and finds an answer that combines conceptual metaphor theory with concepts from classical narratology and beyond, such as mise en abyme, textual circularity, intertextuality or omniscient narration. It argues that texts with such structures may be conceptualised as infinite via Lakoff and Nunez's Basic Metaphor of Infinity. The catachrestic transfer of infinity from structure to text means that the texts themselves are understood to be infinite. Taking its cue from the central role of the infinite in Emmanuel Levinas's ethics, the function of such 'fictions of infinity' turns out to be ethical: infinite textuality disrupts reading patterns and calls into question the reader's spontaneity to interpret. This hypothesis is put to the test in detailed readings of four 21st-century novels, David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, Jeanette Winterson's The Stone Gods, Ian McEwan's Saturday and John Banville's The Infinities. This book thus combines ethical criticism with structural aesthetics to uncover ethical potential in fiction.

General

Imprint:	De Gruyter
Country of origin:	Germany
Series:	Buchreihe Der Anglia / Anglia Book Series
Release date:	October 2020
First published:	2020
Authors:	Martin Riedelsheimer
Dimensions:	230 x 155mm (L x W)
Format:	Hardcover
Pages:	256
ISBN-13:	978-3-11-071234-6
Categories:	Books > Language & Literature > Literature: history & criticism > Literary studies > From 1900 Books > Language & Literature > Literature: history & criticism > Novels, other prose & writers > General Promotions
LSN:	3-11-071234-2
Barcode:	9783110712346

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!