Literature of Hell

Essays explore the representation and perception of hell in various texts, considering the legacy of doctrinal warnings and literary markers, and the risks taken in exploring the dark and questioning the past. The contributions span a wide chronological range and apply contemporary critical approaches, including cognitive science, performance studies, and narratology. Interviews with creative practitioners further enhance the analysis. The literature of hell engages with issues of immediate relevance and asks audiences to reflect on cultural history, social justice, and the nature of embodied existence.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 216 pages
\n Publication date: 06 August 2021
\n Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd
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For countless generations, narratives of a descent into the underworld, detailing the sights and punishments encountered, have captivated the popular imagination. The enduring legacy of doctrinal warnings and the deeply ingrained literary markers that signify a place of suffering and alienation continue to inspire creative exchange and critical reflection. These essays, gathered in this volume, explore the essentiality of hell in the stories we tell. They examine the cross-genre and intergenerational transfer of motifs, acknowledging the enduring presence of physical and psychological landscapes of hell. Spanning a wide chronological range, these essays employ various contemporary critical approaches, including cognitive science, performance studies, and narratology. This cross-period analysis is complemented by insightful interviews with three creative practitioners: Jeya Ayadurai, the director of Singapore's Hell's Museum, Lisa Dwan, renowned for her dramatizations of Samuel Beckett's late works, and David Almond, a celebrated writer.

From ancient myth and early English sermons to mid-twentieth-century surrealism and contemporary responses to terrorist activities and environmental damage, the literature of hell engages with pressing issues of immediate relevance. It prompts its audiences to reflect on their cultural history, the meaning of social justice, and the nature of embodied existence. Through these diverse perspectives, the essays in this collection offer a rich exploration of the enduring fascination with hell and its profound impact on our understanding of the human condition.

\n Weight: 370g\n
Dimension: 144 x 224 x 18 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781843846093\n \n