"Anyone lucky enough to have this volume sitting on their shelves has instant access to the recent thinking of a long list of scholars who have led the way in Gothic studies. The book is a veritable Baedecker's guide that ranges from the historical Goths of the third century to Stephen King in the twentieth century; that explores dimensions of Gothic through painting and cinema, as well as written texts; that roams across Europe and America as well as the British Isles. Punter himself contributes a concise but stimulating introduction." Studies in Hogg and His World
"The individual essays are narrow enough to describe discrete topics but useful to newcomer and scolar alike." "Punter's volume is sure to be a standard reference for some time to come for undergraduates and scholars." Choice
"The book does not offer a house view of what Gothic is, but instead faithfully reproduces the status of current debates on the relevant genres. Many essays provide useful summaries of criticism or of primary texts; others offer new critical insights." Times Higher Education Supplement
"Without foreclosing interpretative possibilities ... A Companion to the Gothic offers a range of strategies for understanding the genre, and is an excellent resource for students, teachers, and scholars of the Gothic." Gothic Studies
The Gothic has become in recent years an enormously popular and respected field of study. Courses dealing wholly or partly with Gothic writing are now standard in English and cultural studies departments across the world. In response to this extraordinary growth and expansion, David Punter has compiled a Companion designed to become the standard reference work for scholars and students. As well as providing a series of stimulating insights into Gothic writing, its history and genealogy, the volume also offers comprehensive coverage of criticism of the Gothic and of the various theoretical approaches it has inspired and spawned.
The Companion consists of 25 substantial essays, arranged in five sections: Gothic Backgrounds; The "Original" Gothic; Nineteenth- and Twentieth-century Transmutations; Ideas about the Gothic; and the Continuing Debate. These are accompanied by a substantial introduction and a bibliography of primary and secondary materials.
Each essay is written by a leading scholar in the field. In addition to providing accounts of major authors and texts, the essays explore European and American dimensions of Gothic; Gothic painting; the British ghost story; horror fiction; psychoanalytic, historicist and feminist approaches to the Gothic; Gothic cinema; and issues of counterfeit, madness and magic realism in relation to Gothic materials.
From the Back Cover
The Gothic has become in recent years an enormously popular and respected field of study. Courses dealing wholly or partly with Gothic writing are now standard in English and cultural studies departments across the world. In response to this extraordinary growth and expansion, David Punter has compiled a Companion designed to become the standard reference work for scholars and students. As well as providing a series of stimulating insights into Gothic writing, its history and genealogy, the volume also offers comprehensive coverage of criticism of the Gothic and of the various theoretical approaches it has inspired and spawned.
The Companion consists of 25 substantial essays, arranged in five sections: Gothic Backgrounds; The "Original" Gothic; Nineteenth- and Twentieth-century Transmutations; Ideas about the Gothic; and the Continuing Debate. These are accompanied by a substantial introduction and a bibliography of primary and secondary materials.
Each essay is written by a leading scholar in the field. In addition to providing accounts of major authors and texts, the essays explore European and American dimensions of Gothic; Gothic painting; the British ghost story; horror fiction; psychoanalytic, historicist and feminist approaches to the Gothic; Gothic cinema; and issues of counterfeit, madness and magic realism in relation to Gothic materials.
About the Author
David Punter is Professor of English at University of Bristol. He has written extensively on Gothic, romantic and modern literature, as well as on literary theory and psychoanalysis, and has also published short stories and several volumes of poetry. He is chair of the executive of the International Gothic Association, as well as Past President of the British Association for Romantic Studies. His publications include The Literature of Terror: Volume 1: The Gothic Tradition and The Literature of Terror: Volume 2: The Modern Gothic.
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