Tone

The tone is a collaborative study of literary tone that believes it is relational, belonging to shared experience rather than a single author. It explores the atmospheres emanating from texts by Nella Larsen, W. G. Sebald, Heike Geissler, Hiroko Oyamada, Mieko Kanai, Bhanu Kapil, Franz Kafka, Renee Gladman, and others, attending to the chafing of political irritation, the hunger of precarious and temporary work, and the lonely delights of urban and suburban walks. It seeks immersion in literary affect to convey the experience of reading and living together.

Format: Hardback
Length: 144 pages
Publication date: 21 November 2023
Publisher: Columbia University Press

Tone, a complex and elusive concept in literary criticism, is a collaborative exploration that delves into the intricate nuances of a text's emotional essence. Spanning both granular and global dimensions, tone infuses a work with a profound sense of feeling, making it notoriously difficult to define or pinpoint with precision. Responses to tone often take the form of vague assertions, as it eludes precise categorization.

In the realm of Tone, a collective authorial voice emerges under the guise of the Committee to Investigate Atmosphere. This committee posits that tone is relational, belonging to the shared experience rather than a singular author. It advocates for an approach that emphasizes communal practice, seeking to understand the atmospheres that arise from various literary works. Through their partnership, the committee delves into the atmospheres created by authors such as Nella Larsen, W. G. Sebald, Heike Geissler, Hiroko Oyamada, Mieko Kanai, Bhanu Kapil, Franz Kafka, Renee Gladman, and others. Their analysis encompasses the interplay of political irritation, the yearning for precarious and transient work, and the solitary joys of urban and suburban walks.

Tone raises a multitude of intriguing questions. How does translation influence the filtration of tone? Can a text capture the emotions that traverse between humans and animals? By attentively studying literary tone, what insights can be gained about shared spaces like factories, universities, and streets, as well as the clashes and connections that occur within them? Tone is characterized by a searching and conversational spirit, aiming to immerse readers in the realm of literary affect and convey the experience of reading and living together.

Weight: 286g
Dimension: 147 x 224 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231211208