Textual Communication: A Print-Based Theory of the Novel

Textual Communication is a book that explores the character and development of the novel from Richardson to Nabokov in relation to the printing and publishing industry. It combines literary theory with a historical analysis of communication and defines textual communication as a form of interaction between two divided subjects.

Format: Hardback
Length: 262 pages
Publication date: 01 December 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Textual Communication, originally published in 1991, delves into the evolution of the novel from Richardson to Nabokov in the context of the printing and publishing industry. This comprehensive work combines literary theory with a historical analysis of communication, pushing the boundaries of the debate on the novel beyond the pioneering works of Booth and Genette. It responds to and challenges the ideas of Foucault, Baudrillard, McLuhan, and Barthes while offering a fresh perspective on the genre.

The book employs Lacan's theory of the divided subject to define textual communication as a dynamic form of interaction. Within this framework, two distinct subjects—the author and the reader—engage in a complex exchange, navigating the constraints of the book market, censorship, literary conventions, and language. Through meticulous analysis, Textual Communication sheds light on the strategies employed by novelists throughout different historical periods to overcome communication barriers and convey their messages effectively.

By examining the structures of the industry that manufactured and marketed novels, the book provides a deep understanding of how novelists adapted to the changing communication landscape of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries. It identifies critical moments in the history of the novel when new narrative strategies emerged, placing them within the broader context of the communication environment in which the texts were produced.

Through its comprehensive approach, Textual Communication offers a rich and nuanced exploration of the novel's evolution, its relationship with the printing and publishing industry, and the broader cultural and social forces that shaped it. It serves as a valuable resource for scholars, students, and enthusiasts alike, providing a comprehensive and interdisciplinary perspective on this enduring literary form.

Weight: 649g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367743253