Comparative Literature: A Very Short Introduction

Título: Comparative Literature: A Very Short Introduction

Autor: Ben Hutchinson

Sinopse: Comparative Literature is both the past and the future of literary studies. Its history is intimately linked to the political upheavals of modernity: from colonial empire-building in the nineteenth century to the postcolonial culture wars of the twenty-first century, attempts at "comparison" have defined the international agenda of literature. But what is comparative literature? Ambitious readers looking to stretch themselves are usually intrigued by the concept, but uncertain of its implications. And rightly so, in many ways: even the professionals cannot agree on a single term, calling it comparative in English, compared in French, and comparing in German. The very term itself, when approached comparatively, opens up a Pandora's box of cultural differences. Yet this, in a nutshell, is the whole point of comparative literature. To look at literature comparatively is to realize just how much can be learned by looking over the horizon of one's own culture. In an age that is paradoxically defined by migration and border crossing on the one hand, and by a retreat into monolingualism and monoculturalism on the other, the cross-cultural agenda of comparative literature has become increasingly central to the future of the Humanities. We are all, in fact, comparatists, constantly making connections across languages, cultures, and genres as we read. The question is whether we realize it. Outlining the complex history and competing theories of comparative literature, Ben Hutchinson offers an accessible means of entry into a notoriously slippery subject. Ultimately, he places comparative literature at the very heart of literary criticism, for as George Steiner once noted, "to read is to compare."

Contexto da obra

Quando a classificação é mais ampla, o contexto do livro costuma depender ainda mais de autoria, tema e edição. “Comparative Literature: A Very Short Introduction”, de Ben Hutchinson, publicado pela editora ‎ Oxford University Press, em 2018 e com 160 páginas, integra a categoria Livros Variados. Por isso, autoria, edição e tema acabam tendo ainda mais peso na forma de apresentar o livro.

Editora: ‎ Oxford University Press

Páginas: 160

Ano: 2018

Edição:

Linguagem: pt_BR

ISBN:

ISBN13: 9780198807278