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Text: English, French (translation)
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Structuralist view of 'the fantastic',
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This review is from: The Fantastic: A Structural Approach to a Literary Genre (Cornell Paperbacks) (Paperback)
Those interested in the structuralist criticism of the 1960s-70s will find the most joy here, with Todorov applying the rigorous structuralist stance to one of literature's most fascinating genres. His demolition of Northrop Frye's approach to 'genre' in Chapter 1 is still cogent after thirty years (and an amusing read in its own right), but it's Todorov's chapters on the 'themes of the fantastic', and his conclusion on its role in literature generally, which are most compelling. This is not, however, an easy read. As Robert Scholes notes in his foreword, "neither structuralism itself nor poetics in general is noted for its ability to charm readers." You don't say. Fortunately, Todorov uses many examples from well known fantastic texts - such as 'The Arabian Nights' and the works of Edgar Alan Poe - and also from lesser known French works which will have you rushing out to the antiquarian bookstore to hunt them down. You can accept or reject the structuralist position - but if nothing else, this book will open up a whole new world of 'fantastic' novels for you to enjoy.
27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What Todorov Means!,
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This review is from: The Fantastic: A Structural Approach to a Literary Genre (Cornell Paperbacks) (Paperback)
This book is a great achievement in criticism, but one should be warned that Todorov is not talking about elves and dragons when he uses the term "Fantastic." In this book Todorov advances his definition of the fantastic as a "hesitation" or inability to decide whether events in a narrative are natural or supernatural. Thus, the book deals more with straight supernatural fiction, than with what we usually think of as "fantasy" fiction. All in all, Todorov is insightful and his book is a great companion to anyone who enjoys French, English, or American supernatural fiction.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
"The Fantastic" is a name given to a kind of literature, to a literary genre. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
The Saragossa Manuscript, Arabian Nights, Louis Lambert, Princess Brambilla, Hashish Club, Qui Sait, Henry James, Northrop Frye, Anatomy of Criticism, Los Hermanos New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
"The Fantastic" is a name given to a kind of literature, to a literary genre. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
The Saragossa Manuscript, Arabian Nights, Louis Lambert, Princess Brambilla, Hashish Club, Qui Sait, Henry James, Northrop Frye, Anatomy of Criticism, Los Hermanos New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 21
books:
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100
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cite this book:
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- Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays by Northrop Frye in Front Matter, page 8, and page 19
- Louis Lambert by Honoré de Balzac on page 124, and page 147
- Magic Skin by Honoré de Balzac on page 3, and page 67
- The Burning Court by John Dickson Carr on page 45, and page 50
- The Turn of the Screw (Dover Thrift Editions) by Henry James on page 43, and page 105
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- Science Fiction Film (Genres in American Cinema) by J. P. Telotte on 6 pages
- Contemporary Women's Fiction and the Fantastic by Lucie Armitt on 4 pages
- The Muse As Eros: Music, Erotic Fantasy And Male Creativity in the Romantic And Modern Imagination by Stephen Downes on page 15, page 101, and Back Matter
- The Nineteenth-Century Novel: Identities by Dennis Walder on page 204, page 208, and page 232
- A Companion to the Gothic (Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture) by David Punter on page 37, page 131, and page 292
See all 100 books citing this book
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