At the Violet Hour

Exploring the intertwining of literature and violence, At the Violet Hour examines how historical upheavals shape modernist texts in British and Irish literature.

The book At the Violet Hour presents a profound exploration of how literature intertwines with violence in British and Irish modernist texts. It posits that early twentieth-century literature from these regions was significantly shaped by a reckoning with various forms of violence, which were perceived as intimate, direct, and often transformative experiences. The author aims to uncover and highlight a recurring theme in this body of work, suggesting that the central operations of these texts, both formally and thematically, are closely tied to the concept of violence.

In At the Violet Hour, the author introduces innovative terms and frameworks for analyzing violence in literature, notably the ideas of 'enchanted and disenchanted violence.' This exploration not only defines critical aspects of literary violence during the period but also delves into three pivotal historical events: the rise of dynamite violence and anarchism in the nineteenth century, the turbulent Irish events of the early twentieth century, and the lead-up to World War II, including the Spanish Civil War. Each of these historical moments provides a rich backdrop for reinterpreting the works of canonical writers such as Eliot, Conrad, Yeats, and Woolf, revealing how their primary styles and narratives were influenced by the deformations of violence.

The book further expands its scope by considering a wide range of literary and non-literary works, including visual culture, journalism, and popular novels. This comprehensive analysis offers readers a fresh perspective on the interconnectedness of violence and literature, inviting them to reconsider the significance of these themes in the modernist canon.