Modernism - Literary Movements, General Aesthetics & Philosophy of Art, Literary Theory - General & Miscellaneous, General & Miscellaneous Poetry - Literary Criticism
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Overview
In The Snowflake on the Belfry, Anna Balakian, one of Comparative Literature's leading scholars, confronts the "current zeitgeist" in contemporary literary studies and examines changing concepts of the language of poetry, the interrelationships among writers, and problems of the creative process. She discusses critics and their authors; the current importance assumed by criticism and its consequential devalorization of the literary work; problems of modernism; the interaction of literary and visual media; hermeneutical criticism and the Surrealists; the use and misuse of literary texts for ideological purposes; relativism and anthropomorphism; multiculturalism and the sociological approach to the arts. Other essays examine issues of origin and originality, Mallarme, the boundaries between poetry and theology, the search for beauty, unfamiliar literatures, and literary theory. These essays demonstrate Balakian's belief that the fate of literature "needs the snowflake not to ring the bell to any particular tune but to maintain a seasonal balance in the literary climate."Editorials
Library Journal
As a teacher, the author takes a vivid interest in assessing the philosophical dilemma of studying and teaching comparative literature. At issue here is the predicament of contemporary literary criticism, for today's critical response to literary creations appears to be more ambitious and even more pretentious than the works themselves. The first group of essays, most of which were originally presented as lectures, analyzes the evolution of criticism to its current state and the possible consequences. The influence of surrealism on Balakian herself, formerly the head of the comparative literature department of New York University, defines the context of her analysis. The essays in the latter part of the book focus on multiculturalism and the modern approach to literatures. While some of Balakian's points might not be totally new to specialists, the merit of this book is in its clear and solid analysis by one of the foremost scholars in the field. Highly recommended for collections strong in literature and literary criticism.-Ali Houissa, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, N.Y.Book Details
Published
April 1, 1994
Publisher
Bloomington [Ind.] : Indiana University Press, c1994.
Pages
288
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780253311320