Fate, Nature, and Literary Form
The Politics of the Tragic in Japanese Literature
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Academic Studies Press
Published:30th Jul '20
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
This study is a theoretical reconsideration of the concept of the "tragic" combined with detailed analyses of Japanese literary texts. Inspired by contemporary critical discourse (especially the works by such thinkers as Theodor Adorno, Fredric Jameson and Raymond Williams), the author challenges both exotic and postmodern representation of Japanese culture as "the other" of the West. By examining the social backgrounds of artists' endeavors to create new literary forms, the author unveils a rich tradition of tragic literature that, unlike the dominant local tradition of naturalism, has registered the unbridgeable gap between universal ideals and social values at a particular historical moment.
“Fate, Nature and Literary Form is a concise and engaging book about how tragic art manifests in different times and places and what role critical theory can play in our understanding of this genre’s power and appeal… In this compact yet powerful work, Nishi argues that great art can never be merely the expression of the timeless essence of a particular culture but must be part of a forward movement leading to enhanced human relationships…[The book] offer[s] a unique and innovative blend of theoretical musings and provocative insights into the contributions of several major Japanese literary figures whose work cannot be meaningfully interpreted apart from the historical context in which they are rooted. I applaud this effort and find the book both rewarding and stimulating.”
– Ronald P. Loftus, Japanese Language and Literature (Vol. 56, No. 1)
ISBN: 9781644690680
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
168 pages