Collecting and Appreciating

Simone Francescato

ISBN 10: 3034301634 / ISBN 13: 9783034301633

Published by Peter Lang AG, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften, CH, 2010

About this Item

This book examines the role and the meaning of collecting in the fiction of Henry James. Emerging as a refined consumerist practice at the end of the nineteenth century, collecting not only set new rules for appreciating art, but also helped to shape the aesthetic tenets of major literary movements such as naturalism and aestheticism. Although he befriended some of the greatest collectors of the age, in his narrative works James maintained a sceptical, if not openly critical, position towards collecting and its effects on appreciation. Likewise, he became increasingly reluctant to follow the fashionable trend of classifying and displaying art objects in the literary text, resorting to more complex forms of representation. Drawing from classic and contemporary aesthetics, as well as from sociology and material culture, this book fills a gap in Jamesian criticism, explaining how and why James's aversion towards collecting was central to the development of his fiction from the beginning of his career to the so-called major phase.

Seller Inventory # LU-9783034301633

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Collecting and Appreciating
• Publisher: Peter Lang AG, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften, CH
• Publication Date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3034301634
• ISBN 13: 9783034301633
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 320 grams

About this title

Synopsis

This book examines the role and the meaning of collecting in the fiction of Henry James. Emerging as a refined consumerist practice at the end of the nineteenth century, collecting not only set new rules for appreciating art, but also helped to shape the aesthetic tenets of major literary movements such as naturalism and aestheticism. Although he befriended some of the greatest collectors of the age, in his narrative works James maintained a sceptical, if not openly critical, position towards collecting and its effects on appreciation. Likewise, he became increasingly reluctant to follow the fashionable trend of classifying and displaying art objects in the literary text, resorting to more complex forms of representation.
Drawing from classic and contemporary aesthetics, as well as from sociology and material culture, this book fills a gap in Jamesian criticism, explaining how and why James's aversion towards collecting was central to the development of his fiction from the beginning of his career to the so-called major phase.

Contents: Introduction - I. Appreciation in the Age of Consumption - II. Henry James's Early Response To Collecting - III. Between Aestheticism and Naturalism - IV. The Princess Casamassima - V. Henry James's Aesthetics of Desire - VI. The Spoils of Poynton - VII. The Golden Bowl - Bibliography - Index

About the Author

Simone Francescato is lecturer of American Literature and American Studies at the Università Ca' Foscari of Venice (Italy).