4. ‘A work of truth’: L’Assommoir
Brian Nelson
in Émile Zola: A Very Short Introduction
‘A work of truth’ looks at the novel L’Assommoir, the first to represent how the workers—the new French industrial proletariat—really lived. The story of Gervaise Macquart, a washerwoman ...
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9. After the Rougon-Macquart
Brian Nelson
in Émile Zola: A Very Short Introduction
‘After the Rougon-Macquart’ considers the final novel of the Rougon-Macquart cycle, Doctor Pascal. This novel explores the themes of science and religion, renewal and rebirth. The latter ...
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Afterword: legacies of decadence
David Weir
in Decadence: A Very Short Introduction
Manifestations of decadence outside of western Europe appear to confirm philosopher Theodor Adorno’s thesis that decadence entails an implicit critique of modernity. The elevation of ...
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3. The age of idealism (1781–1832)
Nicholas Boyle
in German Literature: A Very Short Introduction
‘The age of idealism (1781–1832)’ describes how Immanuel Kant endeavoured to reconcile the empiricist Enlightenment of the bourgeoisie with the rationalist Enlightenment of officialdom in a ...
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4. The age of materialism (1832–1914)
Nicholas Boyle
in German Literature: A Very Short Introduction
‘The age of materialism (1832–1914)’ explains how the philosophers who dominated the new age in Germany were materialist where their predecessors had been idealist, and socially autonomous ...
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2. Alien encounters
David Seed
in Science Fiction: A Very Short Introduction
Through the theme of alien encounters science fiction has interrogated the limits of identity and the nature of differences. From H.G. Wells to Star Trek, ‘Alien encounters’ examines the ...
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7. The ambivalence of the veil
Robert J. C. Young
in Postcolonialism: A Very Short Introduction (2nd edn)
‘The ambivalence of the veil’ explores the relationship between Western and Muslim worlds. For many Westerners, nothing symbolizes the differences more than ‘the veil’, a shorthand for the ...
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4. The American Bestseller
John Sutherland
in Bestsellers: A Very Short Introduction
‘The American bestseller’ traces its evolution from the nineteenth century to the present day. Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) broke the Scott and Dickens mould in America, while Mark Twain forged ...
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6. Among the English poets
Jonathan Bate
in English Literature: A Very Short Introduction
Literature hasn't always been a silent and solitary activity. The ancient bards did not write their poems down: they memorized and recited them. Dramatic poetry is by its nature aural and ...
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2. Ancient worlds
Belinda Jack
in Reading: A Very Short Introduction
A great deal is known about reading in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, but it is important to remember that a good deal of what we think of as Greek and Roman literature was heard and ...
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6. ‘And don’t dispute with fools’: Men, women, and society
Catriona Kelly
in Russian Literature: A Very Short Introduction
‘“And don't dispute with fools”: Men, women, and society’ references Pushkin's view of the poet as conflicted by having to live both in the world of mysticism, art, and religion, as well as ...
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10. Antony and Cleopatra
Stanley Wells
in Shakespeare's Tragedies: A Very Short Introduction
Antony and Cleopatra is a great sprawling masterpiece of a play, rich in poetry, vast in imaginative power, in depth of characterization, in psychological penetration, in ...
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7. Apostle of freedom
John Phillips
in The Marquis de Sade: A Very Short Introduction
Sade's legacy is huge despite being officially supressed for two centuries. His work has been widely read and his influence on writers, artists, and thinkers is undeniable. ‘Apostle of ...
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3. Approaches to Rhetoric
Richard Toye
in Rhetoric: A Very Short Introduction
‘Approaches to rhetoric’ addresses some fundamental questions about how the study and practice of rhetoric should be approached. Using examples from the work of Alfred Hitchcock; George ...
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5. Around the Revolution
John D. Lyons
in French Literature: A Very Short Introduction
‘Around the Revolution’ describes the growing scepticism about claims that the social order was founded on nature, itself based on divine providence. The literary works inspired by the ...
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6. The arts
Michael Ferber
in Romanticism: A Very Short Introduction
‘The arts’ surveys the arts Romanticism inspired. Was Beethoven a Romantic or a ‘classical’ composer? Who are the major figures of Romanticism within music? The prestige of music is ...
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2. The ascent to heaven
Nick Groom
in The Gothic: A Very Short Introduction
The Goths were a missionary force that emerged from Graeco-Roman civilization. They had effectively caused the death of the classical pagan world. The spiritual crusade of the Goths allowed ...
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8. Aspects of the English novel
Jonathan Bate
in English Literature: A Very Short Introduction
Romance is a very ancient literary form. A typical example is the adventures of Apollonius, told in many different versions. But is it good literature? ‘Aspects of the English novel’ ...
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4. Authority
Lynda Mugglestone
in Dictionaries: A Very Short Introduction
‘Authority’ examines the narratives of legitimation entrenched in popular attitudes towards dictionaries. They are often constructed as gatekeepers, selectively admitting words because they ...
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2. Autobiography
Peter Hainsworth and David Robey
in Dante: A Very Short Introduction
‘Autobiography’ takes us through Dante’s works—including The Divine Comedy, Vita nova, and Convivio—and shows that they have one recurrent character, Dante himself. In the Comedy, he is the ...
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