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I am not one to engage in seasonally themed reading, but I plan to make an exception this October. During my never-ending quest for more stuff to read, I came across The Grotesque
, a volume in Bloom's Literary Themes. Needless to say, I could not resist and had it overnighted to me. Here is what the publisher, Chelsea House, has to say about the book:"The grotesque, often defined as something fantastically distorted that attracts and repels, is a concept that has various meanings in literature. This new volume contains 20 essays that explore the role of the grotesque in such works as Candide, Frankenstein, King Lear, The Metamorphosis, and many others. Some essays have been written specifically for the series; others are excerpts of important critical analyses from selected books and journals."
I received the book Friday, and I couldn't be more thrilled with this purchase! I love this topic, and as I prepare to read Frankenstein, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekel and Mr. Hyde, and a few Poe short stories, I think this will be a valuable addition to my list.
I'm wondering if Clare Clark, Cormac McCarthy and Chuck Palahniuk might qualify as "modern grotesque"? That is something to think about as I explore!
7 comments:
It just so happens that I'm reading some grotesque right now, too! The Collector of Hearts: New Tales of the Grotesque, by Joyce Carol Oates. I'm not sure where the line between grotesque and horror falls. I'm not sure which side of that line some of the authors you mentioned would be on. Palahniuk certainly toes the line a bit, but I would think of him as a contemporary grotesque, for sure.
Can't wait to read more of what you think of this book!
At first I thought this was Patrick McGrath's novel, The Grotesque. I was going to say I looked forward to seeing what you thought because it's his one novel I just haven't been able to get into.
I have enjoyed the Harold Bloom I've read in the past. I'm going to enjoy your posts about this. What a great theme for this time of year, too.
Lezlie...you are so rushing the month!! actually The Grotesque sounds amazing, and to have it overnighted, it must be...enjoy
Andi ~ I'm not sure where the line is either. I think it's a bit subjective, but I'm hoping this book will clear up a few questions I have. I read the intro essay yesterday and it intoduced me to a great Robert Browning poem that I'll talk about later.
Literate Housewife ~ Patrick McGrath is a recently discovered author for me that I'm dying to get to. I have a couple that I'm thinking about making room for next month. I'll have to look for The Grotesque, too!
Diane ~ I don't mean to. :-) I stumbled on this book and thought it was a perfect time to read it, so I snapped it up right away before the feeling could wear off. I hope it's as good as the money I spent on it. LOL!
Lezlie
Not sure if I'll participate in themed reading this year or not. I tend to really enjoy it usually. I've been considering reading Dr. Jekel and Mr. Hyde for the first time though...
I didn't think I liked theme reading, but then I got all excited for the RIP challenge, and I'm really enjoying that right now. I hope you enjoy your "grotesque" reads.
Ladytink ~ I read Jekel & Hyde many years ago and I thought it was boring, but while I've always been an avid reader, I didn't appreciate classics until recently. I'll be curious to see what both of us think of it!
Rebecca ~ Thanks! I hope you enjoy all your RIP choices, too! October seems to be the easiest time to go with the "theme of the season". That and Christmas. Although, now that I think about it, I had a theme going in February for Black History Month, too.
Lezlie
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