Myths of the Underworld in Contemporary Culture: The Backward Gaze (Classical...

Description: Myths of the Underworld in Contemporary Culture: The Backward Gaze (Classical Presences) [Hardcover] Fletcher, Judith Product Overview Myths of the Underworld in Contemporary Culture: The Backward Gaze examines a series of twentieth and twenty-first century fictional works that adapt Greco- Roman myths of the catabasis, the heroic journey to the underworld. Covering a range of genres - including novels, comics, and children's culture, by authors such as Elena Ferrante, Salman Rushdie, Neil Gaiman, A. S. Byatt, Toni Morrison, and Anne Patchett - it reveals how an enduring fascination with life after death, and fantasies of accessing the world of the dead while we are still alive, manifest themselves in myriad and varied re-imaginings of the ancient descent myth. The volume begins with a detailed overview of the use of the myth by ancient authors such as Homer, Aristophanes, Vergil, and Ovid, before exploring the ways in which the narrative of a return trip to Hades by Odysseus, Aeneas, Orpheus, and Persephone can be manipulated by contemporary storytellers to fit themes of social marginality and alterity, postmodern rebellion, the position of female authors in the literary canon, and the dislocation endured by refugees, exiles, and diasporic populations. It also argues that citations of classical underworld stories can disrupt and challenge the literary canon by using media - such as comic books, children's culture, or rock music - not conventionally associated with high culture. Read more Details Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press (June 20, 2019) Language ‏ : ‎ English Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 238 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0198767099 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 91 Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.7 ounces Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 5.51 x 0.69 inches Best Sellers Rank: #1,723,310 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #453 in 20th Century Literary Criticism (Books) #603 in Ancient History (Books) #1,486 in Ancient & Classical Literary Criticism (Books) #453 in 20th Century Literary Criticism (Books) Stock Photos Please Note: All of our book listings use stock photos unless otherwise stated. Please read our descriptions for accurate conditions and editions, don't use the photos! Free Shipping We ship worldwide. We have multiple warehouses around the world, so please note the extended handling time on certain listings.

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