Fictions of Commodity Culture: From the Victorian to the Postmodern: From the Victorian to the Postmodern

Fictions of Commodity Culture explores consumerism and its literary representation from the Victorian period to the postmodern era, drawing on critical and cultural theory to offer analysis of works by diverse writers. It shows how cultural production in the 19th and early 20th centuries often anticipated the crazy and disorientating consumer world of late capitalism.

Format: Hardback
Publication date: 01 January 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This title, originally published in 2003, delves into the intriguing realm of retail therapy and explores the captivating allure of shopping. It poses fundamental questions about the boundaries between desire and ideology in a society driven by mass consumption. Spanning a wide historical spectrum, from the Victorian period to the postmodern era, Fictions of Commodity Culture offers a comprehensive analysis of consumerism and its literary representation. Drawing upon recent developments in critical and cultural theory, the book examines the works of diverse authors, including Elizabeth Gaskell, William Thackeray, Anthony Trollope, Joseph Conrad, and Don DeLillo. Through insightful comparisons, the book reveals how cultural production in the 19th and early 20th centuries often anticipated the chaotic and disorienting consumer world of late capitalism. For instance, Gaskell's prefiguring of Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting and Conrad's foreshadowing of the Sex Pistols' story exemplify how cultural production can anticipate and shape the consumer landscape. This book offers a thought-provoking exploration of the complex relationship between consumerism and literature, shedding light on the ways in which cultural production can both reflect and influence the consumer world.

ISBN-13: 9781138720343