The problem of literary value
Literary value – in the sense of the worth, usefulness or importance of the literary – has been a topic of debate from no later than Plato’s impugning of poetry. But from the so-called canon wars of the last century to the present, literary value has also become a perplexing source of distress. With...
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| Format: | Online |
| Language: | English |
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Manchester University Press
2023
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| Online Access: | ONIX_20230608_9781526167958_8 |
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| _version_ | 1869517290993614848 |
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| author | Meyer-Lee, Robert J. |
| author_browse | Meyer-Lee, Robert J. |
| author_facet | Meyer-Lee, Robert J. |
| author_sort | Meyer-Lee, Robert J. |
| collection | Directory of Open Access Books |
| description | Literary value – in the sense of the worth, usefulness or importance of the literary – has been a topic of debate from no later than Plato’s impugning of poetry. But from the so-called canon wars of the last century to the present, literary value has also become a perplexing source of distress. With its complicities thoroughly unmasked, it no longer axiomatically serves as literary study’s central justification. Yet no consensus alternative has taken its place. This book, unlike other approaches to the topic, neither pursues an apologetic thesis about the most defining values of literature nor conversely provides a demystifying account of the ideological uses of specific ascribed values. Instead, arguing that the category of literary value is ultimately inescapable, it focuses pragmatically on everyday scholarly and pedagogical activities, proposing how we may reconcile that category’s inevitability with our understandable wariness of its intractable uncertainties and complicities. Toward these ends, it offers a preliminary theory of literary valuing and explores the problem of literary value and possible responses in respect to the literary edition, canonicity and interpretation. Much of this exploration occurs within Chaucer studies, which, because of Chaucer’s simultaneous canonicity and marginality, provides fertile ground for thinking through the problem’s challenges. The book thereby also supplies an extended reflection on the state of Chaucer studies. In using this subfield as a kind of synecdoche for the field as a whole, the book seeks to forge a viable rationale for literary studies within and without the academy. |
| format | Online |
| id | doab-20.500.12854ir-100679 |
| institution | Directory of Open Access Books |
| language | eng |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | Manchester University Press |
| publisherStr | Manchester University Press |
| record_format | ojs |
| spelling | doab-20.500.12854ir-1006792025-07-17T10:01:01Z The problem of literary value Meyer-Lee, Robert J. literary value literary studies crisis critical theory history of Chaucer studies history of medieval studies Chaucer editions literary canon theory of interpretation history of literary criticism Actor-Network Theory thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DS Literature: history and criticism::DSA Literary theory thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DS Literature: history and criticism::DSB Literary studies: general::DSBB Literary studies: ancient, classical and medieval thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education::JNA Philosophy and theory of education thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DS Literature: history and criticism::DSA Literary theory thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DS Literature: history and criticism::DSB Literary studies: general::DSBB Literary studies: ancient, classical and medieval thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education::JNA Philosophy and theory of education Literary value – in the sense of the worth, usefulness or importance of the literary – has been a topic of debate from no later than Plato’s impugning of poetry. But from the so-called canon wars of the last century to the present, literary value has also become a perplexing source of distress. With its complicities thoroughly unmasked, it no longer axiomatically serves as literary study’s central justification. Yet no consensus alternative has taken its place. This book, unlike other approaches to the topic, neither pursues an apologetic thesis about the most defining values of literature nor conversely provides a demystifying account of the ideological uses of specific ascribed values. Instead, arguing that the category of literary value is ultimately inescapable, it focuses pragmatically on everyday scholarly and pedagogical activities, proposing how we may reconcile that category’s inevitability with our understandable wariness of its intractable uncertainties and complicities. Toward these ends, it offers a preliminary theory of literary valuing and explores the problem of literary value and possible responses in respect to the literary edition, canonicity and interpretation. Much of this exploration occurs within Chaucer studies, which, because of Chaucer’s simultaneous canonicity and marginality, provides fertile ground for thinking through the problem’s challenges. The book thereby also supplies an extended reflection on the state of Chaucer studies. In using this subfield as a kind of synecdoche for the field as a whole, the book seeks to forge a viable rationale for literary studies within and without the academy. 2023-06-09T04:08:33Z 2023-06-09T04:08:33Z 2023-06-08T12:16:19Z 2023 book ONIX_20230608_9781526167958_8 https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/63427 9781526167958 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/100679 eng open access image/jpeg image/jpeg Attribution 4.0 International Attribution 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/63427/1/9781526167958.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/63427/1/9781526167958.pdf Manchester University Press 10.7765/9781526167958 10.7765/9781526167958 bcb4ab08-c525-4e6c-88e5-a0cf0a175533 Emory University dd4740d0-d770-4a4c-b4e8-54e513782c6e 9781526167958 278 Manchester [...] open access |
| spellingShingle | literary value literary studies crisis critical theory history of Chaucer studies history of medieval studies Chaucer editions literary canon theory of interpretation history of literary criticism Actor-Network Theory thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DS Literature: history and criticism::DSA Literary theory thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DS Literature: history and criticism::DSB Literary studies: general::DSBB Literary studies: ancient, classical and medieval thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education::JNA Philosophy and theory of education thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DS Literature: history and criticism::DSA Literary theory thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DS Literature: history and criticism::DSB Literary studies: general::DSBB Literary studies: ancient, classical and medieval thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education::JNA Philosophy and theory of education Meyer-Lee, Robert J. The problem of literary value |
| title | The problem of literary value |
| title_full | The problem of literary value |
| title_fullStr | The problem of literary value |
| title_full_unstemmed | The problem of literary value |
| title_short | The problem of literary value |
| title_sort | problem of literary value |
| topic | literary value literary studies crisis critical theory history of Chaucer studies history of medieval studies Chaucer editions literary canon theory of interpretation history of literary criticism Actor-Network Theory thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DS Literature: history and criticism::DSA Literary theory thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DS Literature: history and criticism::DSB Literary studies: general::DSBB Literary studies: ancient, classical and medieval thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education::JNA Philosophy and theory of education thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DS Literature: history and criticism::DSA Literary theory thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DS Literature: history and criticism::DSB Literary studies: general::DSBB Literary studies: ancient, classical and medieval thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education::JNA Philosophy and theory of education |
| topic_facet | literary value literary studies crisis critical theory history of Chaucer studies history of medieval studies Chaucer editions literary canon theory of interpretation history of literary criticism Actor-Network Theory thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DS Literature: history and criticism::DSA Literary theory thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DS Literature: history and criticism::DSB Literary studies: general::DSBB Literary studies: ancient, classical and medieval thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education::JNA Philosophy and theory of education thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DS Literature: history and criticism::DSA Literary theory thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DS Literature: history and criticism::DSB Literary studies: general::DSBB Literary studies: ancient, classical and medieval thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education::JNA Philosophy and theory of education |
| url | ONIX_20230608_9781526167958_8 |
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