Jonathan Swift and Popular Culture Myth, Media and the Man: Myth, Media, and the Man

Kelly, A.

Ann Kelly's provocative book breaks the mold of Swift studies. Twentieth century Swift scholars have tended to assess Jonathan Swift as a pillar of the eighteenth-century 'republic of letter', a conservative, even reactionary voice upholding classical values against the welling tide of popularization in literature. Kelly looks at Swift instead as a practical exponent of the popular and impressario of the literary image. She argues that Swift turned his back on the elite to write for a popular audience, and that he annexed scandals to his fictionalized print alter ego, creating a continual demand for works by or about this self-mythologized figure. A fascinating look at print culture, the commodification of the author, and the history of popular culture, this book should provoke lots of discussion.

Details

Published by: Palgrave Macmillan

Publication Date: 2008-07-27

Format: Paperback

ISBN-13: 9780230602342

DOI: 10.1007/978-1-137-08264-0

Dimensions: 216cm x140cm

Pages: 244