English Magic and Imperial Madness

The Anti-Colonial Politics of Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

AvPeter D. Mathews,Donald E. Palumbo

Häftad, Engelska, 2021

Del i serien Critical Explorations in Science Fiction and Fantasy

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Beskrivning

Regency England was a pivotal time of political uncertainty, with a changing monarchy, the Napoleonic Wars, and a population explosion in London. In Susanna Clarke's fantasy novel Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, the era is also witness to the unexpected return of magic. Locating the consequences of this eruption of magical unreason within the context of England's imperial history, this study examines Merlin and his legacy, the roles of magicians throughout history, the mythology of disenchantment, the racism at work in the character of Stephen Black, the meaning behind the fantasy of magic's return, and the Englishness of English magic itself. Looking at the larger historical context of magic and its links to colonialism, the book offers both a fuller understanding of the ethical visions underlying Clarke's groundbreaking novel of madness intertwined with magic, while challenging readers to rethink connections among national identity, rationality, and power.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2021-11-10
Mått:152 x 229 x 9 mm
Vikt:245 g
Format:Häftad
Språk:Engelska
Serie:Critical Explorations in Science Fiction and Fantasy
Antal sidor:178
Förlag:McFarland & Co Inc
ISBN:9781476686271

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Mer om författaren

Peter D. Mathews is a professor of English literature at Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea.

Recensioner i media

“In a dazzling new reading, Peter D. Mathews reveals Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell as exposing myths of British self-satisfaction and enacting a destabilizing, exhilarating ‘change in the night sky’ of the world we think we know. This is first-rate criticism that opens a wonderful book to its readers as never before.”—Nicholas Birns, instructor, NYU Center for Applied Liberal Arts

Innehållsförteckning

Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPrefacePrologue: Merlin’s LegacyA Mystic Robe of Midnight BlueThe Mythological MagicianMerlin’s Imperial LegacyChapter 1. The Fantasy of a ReturnThe Modern Fantasy of ReturnThe Englishness of English MagicMagic’s PersistenceChapter 2. Writing, Text, MythologyAll the Texts of the WorldThe Man Who Was Also a BookWriting History, Writing FictionChapter 3. An Artificial MythDual PerspectivesThe English MaladyMythologies and EvasionsChapter 4. Through the Looking-GlassThe Paper MirrorThe Monarch and the MirrorThe Nameless SlaveChapter 5. Imperialism’s Magic HelperAnthropology and UnreasonThe Illusionist’s MissionThe Magic HelperChapter 6. The Reason of UnreasonMagic and MadnessReason’s DoubleReason and UnreasonEpilogue: New ConstellationsThe Starry HeavensEndless NightBeyond DisenchantmentThe Sky SpeaksReferencesIndex