A Morbid Fascination: White Prose and Politics in Apartheid South Africa Contributor(s): Peck, Richard (Author) |
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ISBN: 0313300917 ISBN-13: 9780313300912 Publisher: Praeger
Binding Type: Hardcover Published: February 1997 Annotation: Using a broad range of literature to examine the political culture of white South Africa, Peck finds both a preoccupation with political issues and a dislike for politics. The literature examined ranges from South African propaganda, through a variety of bestsellers--adventure stories and mystery novels written by authors such as Wilbur Smith and James McClure--to self-conscious literary works of the canonical white South African authors such as Alan Paton, Andre Brink, and Nadine Gordimer. The study gives attention to anti-political features of the liberal tradition that dominated South African writing, and to the failure of writers who undermined that tradition to generate a more positive view of politics. The morbid fascination with politics that is found across the full spectrum of creative writing is a reflection of the circumstances in which writers found themselves, but it is still a worrisome feature of the white South African political culture. Click for more in this series: Contributions to the Study of World Literature |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Political Science - Literary Criticism |
Dewey: 823 |
LCCN: 96027387 |
Series: Contributions to the Study of World Literature |
Physical Information: 0.86" H x 6.18" W x 9.3" L (1.12 lbs) 216 pages |
Themes: - Cultural Region - Southern Africa |
Features: Bibliography |
Awards: Oregon Book Awards, Nominee, Nonfiction, 1998 |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: Using a broad range of literature to examine the political culture of white South Africa, Peck finds both a preoccupation with political issues and a dislike for politics. The literature examined ranges from South African propaganda, through a variety of bestsellers--adventure stories and mystery novels written by authors such as Wilbur Smith and James McClure--to self-conscious literary works of the canonical white South African authors such as Alan Paton, Andr Brink, and Nadine Gordimer. The study gives attention to anti-political features of the liberal tradition that dominated South African writing, and to the failure of writers who undermined that tradition to generate a more positive view of politics. The morbid fascination with politics that is found across the full spectrum of creative writing is a reflection of the circumstances in which writers found themselves, but it is still a worrisome feature of the white South African political culture. |
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