Novel Relations: Victorian Fiction and British Psychoanalysis

Novel Relations explores the connections between British psychoanalysis and Victorian fiction, showing how literary figures shape and structure us. It reveals how our relations with others impact the psyche and how literary works can teach us about ourselves. By closely reading novels by George Eliot and Thomas Hardy, it demonstrates that traditional understandings of Victorian fiction change when we fully recognize the object relations of reading. This book opens up Victorian fiction and psychoanalysis to wider political and postcolonial dimensions and encourages a closer engagement with work in critical race theory and gender and sexuality studies.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 17 May 2022
Publisher: Princeton University Press

Novel Relations, a groundbreaking work of literary theory, delves into the intricate relationship between Victorian fiction and British psychoanalysis, offering a fresh perspective on the interplay between these two influential cultural movements. By placing the writing of key figures in post-Freudian British psychoanalysis, such as D. W. Winnicott, W. R. Bion, Michael and Enid Balint, Joan Riviere, Paula Heimann, and Betty Joseph, in conversation with canonical Victorian fiction, Alicia Christoff unveils the profound insights that object relations can shed on our reading habits and the psychological processes that shape our interactions with others.

Through a close reading of novels by George Eliot and Thomas Hardy, Christoff demonstrates how traditional interpretations of Victorian fiction undergo a transformative shift when we fully acknowledge the object relations inherent in the act of reading. She reveals that British psychoanalysis illuminates underappreciated aspects of Victorian fiction with remarkable clarity, as Victorian novels played a significant role in shaping modern psychoanalytic theories of the psyche and relationality. This includes the eclipse of empire and race in the construction of the subject, highlighting the political and social dimensions that are often overlooked in these literary works.

By adopting a relational reading approach, Novel Relations expands the horizons of both Victorian fiction and psychoanalysis, inviting a deeper engagement with broader political and postcolonial themes. It prompts readers to consider the ways in which literary form shapes our understanding of the world and the individuals within it, while also challenging us to explore the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality in these texts. Through its innovative synthesis of literary analysis and psychoanalytic theory, Novel Relations offers a valuable contribution to the field of literary studies and provides a fresh perspective on the complex relationship between culture, psychology, and the construction of the subject.

Dimension: 235 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691234595