Literature and the Senses

Literature and the Senses explores the role of literature in capturing and scrutinizing sensory perception, organized around the five traditional senses and a section on multisensoriality. Contributors engage with a variety of theorists to foreground the distinctive means by which literary texts engage with, open up, or make uncertain dominant views of the nature of perception. Essays explore literary moments of sensation including interspecies exchange, sound, smell, taste, tactile gestures, and the representation of a world in which the interdependence of human beings with the purple hibiscus plant is experienced through all five senses.

Format: Hardback
Length: 544 pages
Publication date: 27 July 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Literature and the Senses is a groundbreaking collection of essays that delves into the profound relationship between literature and sensory perception. Spanning from the Middle Ages to the present day, this comprehensive anthology explores the ways in which literature captures and examines the various senses, including sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Through a dialogue with a range of theorists, including Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Michel Serres, Jean-Luc Nancy, and others, the contributors highlight the unique ways in which literary texts engage with, challenge, and expand our understanding of perception.

The collection is organized into five sections, each dedicated to a different sense. The first section explores the traditional senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch, while the second section explores the concept of multisensoriality. Here, the contributors examine how literature engages with multiple senses simultaneously, blurring the boundaries between them and creating new sensory experiences.

One of the key themes of the collection is the interspecies exchange of sensory experiences. The contributors explore how literary texts depict the exchange of glances, sounds, smells, and tastes between different species, highlighting the ways in which these interactions shape our understanding of the natural world. For example, they discuss the moment when a swan and a young Indigenous Australian girl share a look, emphasizing the cultural and sensory barriers that exist between them.

Another notable theme is the exploration of literary moments of sensation. The essays delve into a wide range of literary works, including poems, novels, plays, and performances, to examine how sensory details are used to create vivid and immersive experiences for the reader. They discuss the sound of bees as captured in an early modern poem, the noxious smell of the Great Stink that recurs in the Victorian novel, the taste of an eggplant registered in a poetic performance, tactile gestures in medieval romance, and the representation of a world in which the interdependence of human beings with the purple hibiscus plant is experienced through all five senses.

Through their critical analysis, the contributors demonstrate how literature can challenge and expand our perennial understandings of the senses. They argue that literature offers a unique perspective on perception, one that is often overlooked by scientific, epistemological, and philosophical perspectives. By engaging with literature, we can gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of the human experience and the ways in which our senses shape our understanding of the world.

Literature and the Senses is a valuable resource for scholars and students of literature, sensory studies, and cultural studies. It provides a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to the study of the senses, challenging traditional assumptions and opening up new avenues for research and inquiry. The collection is well-written, accessible, and engaging, making it an essential read for anyone interested in the intersection of literature and the senses.

In conclusion, Literature and the Senses is a groundbreaking collection that explores the profound relationship between literature and sensory perception. Through a dialogue with a range of theorists and a focus on interspecies exchange, literary moments of sensation, and the challenges to traditional understandings of the senses, the contributors demonstrate how literature can expand our understanding of the human experience and the natural world. This collection is a valuable resource for scholars and students of literature, sensory studies, and cultural studies, and it will undoubtedly inspire further research and inquiry into the ways in which literature and the senses intersect.

Dimension: 246 x 171 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192843777
Edition number: 1