The British and Anglo-Irish Thing-Essay from 1701 to 2021: Of Broomsticks and Doughnuts

The essay is a fourth genre of literature, but it lacks a "thing-subgenre." British and Anglo-Irish literature have a long tradition of "thing-essays," which draw broader insights from the contemplation of a material item of daily life. This book provides the first theoretical conceptualization of this genre, combining elements from essay studies and the New Materialisms. It explores why the essay lends itself well to the literature of personal relationships to everyday objects and develops a typology of three modes via which things can be approached essayistically. The study analyzes 14 thing-essays from 1701 until 2021, ranging from satire to sentimental writing, from religion to consumerism, from class to gender differences, from feelings of nationality to exoticism, from the French Revolution to Freud, and from art to everyday life.

Format: Hardback
Length: 254 pages
Publication date: 29 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

While the it-narrative,the thing-poem, and thing theatre have graced the literary landscape for some time,the essay, often regarded as the fourth genre in literature, still lacks its distinct subgenre. However, British and Anglo-Irish literature, in particular, boasts a rich, albeit hitherto implicit tradition of texts that can be categorized as 'thing-essays.' Spanning from Jonathan Swift's "Meditation upon a Broomstick" (1701) to the present day, these writings offer profound insights through the contemplation of a material item from daily life. This book presents the first theoretical conceptualization of this genre, drawing upon essay studies and the New Materialisms to elucidate why the essay is particularly well-suited to the literary exploration of the personal relationships individuals forge with everyday objects. While each essay showcases the unique qualities of thing-essays, the study also endeavors to uncover evolving attitudes towards things and, thus, the material surroundings in general, across different eras. To account for these synchronic and diachronic disparities, this study develops a typology of three modes through which things can be approached essayistically. In the second part of the book, this framework will be applied in close readings and historicizations of 14 thing-essays, spanning from 1701 to 2021. Ranging from satire to sentimental writing, from religion to consumerism, from class to gender differences, from national sentiments to exoticism, from the French Revolution to Freud, and from art to everyday life, these thing-essays exhibit a remarkable stylistic and thematic diversity. Ultimately, they demonstrate the intricate interconnectedness between human life and materiality, showcasing the multifaceted tapestry of human experience.

Weight: 650g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032374048