London in Contemporary British Fiction: The City Beyond the City (Bloomsbury Studies in the City)

"Contemporary writers such as Peter Ackroyd, J. G. Ballard, John King, Ian McEwan, Will Self, Iain Sinclair and Zadie Smith have been registering the changes to the social and cultural London landscape for years. This volume brings together their vivid representations of the capital. Uniting the readings are themes such as relationship between the country and the city; the capacity of satirical forms to encompass the 'real London'; spatio-temporal transformations and emergences; the relationship between multiculturalism and universalism; the underground as the spatial equivalent of London's unconsciousness and the suburbs as the frontier of the future. The volume creates a framework for new approaches to the representation of London required by the unprecedented social uncertainties of recent years: an invaluable contribution to studies of contemporary writing about London."--Bloomsbury Publishing. Contemporary Writers Such As Peter Ackroyd, Martin Amis, Julian Barnes, A.s. Byatt, Andrea Levy, Ian Mcewan, China Miville, Will Self, Iain Sinclair And Zadie Smith Have Been Registering Both The Changes To And The Continuities Of The Social And Cultural London Landscape For Years. This Volume Brings Together Critical Interpretations Of Various Vivid Representations Of The Capital. Uniting The Readings Are Themes Such As Relationship Between The Country And The City; The Capacity Of Satirical Forms To Encompass The 'real London'; Spatio-temporal Transformations And Emergences; The Relationship Between Multiculturalism And Universalism; The Underground As The Spatial Equivalent Of London's Unconsciousness; And The Suburbs As The Frontier Of The Future. The Volume Creates A Framework For New Approaches To The Representation Of London Required By The Unprecedented Social Uncertainties Of Recent Years: An Invaluable Contribution To Studies Of Contemporary Writing About London. Introduction : Parallax London / Nick Hubble And Philip Tew -- Exploring London In Ian Mcewan's Saturday (2005) : Trauma And The Traumatological, Identity Politics And Vicarious Victimhood / Philip Tew -- Seeing 'the Empty Space' : Ali Smith's The Accidental / Susan Alice Fischer -- Delineating The Liminal In Illimitable London : Will Self's The Book Of Dave And The Cockney Visionary / Sebastian Jenner -- The Changingman : Masculinity, Violence And Revenge In Martin Amis's Yellow Dog / Nick Bentley -- Peter Ackroyd's London : The Sacredness Of Space And Time / Tomasz Niedokos -- Viewing Art In London's Museums : Ekphrasis In Selected Fiction By Julian Barnes, A. S. Byatt And Peter Ackroyd / Doris Bremm -- Iain Sinclair : Complexity, Imagination And The Re-enchanted Margins Of London Orbital / Laura Colombino -- Feeling London Globally : The Location Of Affect In White Teeth / Jung Su -- Agency And Conflict In Andrea Levy's Polyphonic London / Anja Müller-wood -- The Liminality Of Underground London / Nora Plefske -- The Un-, Ab- And Alter-londons Of China Miéville : Imaginary Spaces For Concrete Subjects / Mark P. Williams -- Common People : Class, Gender And Social Change In The London Fiction Of Virginia Woolf, John Sommerfield And Zadie Smith / Nick Hubble. Edited By Nick Hubble And Philip Tew. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. FC -- Half title -- Bloomsbury Studies in the City -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Contributors -- Introduction: Parallax London Nick Hubble and Philip Tew -- 1 Exploring London in Ian McEwan's Saturday (2005): Trauma and the Traumatological, Identity Politics and Vicarious Victimhood Philip Tew -- 2 Seeing 'The Empty Space': Ali Smith's The Accidental Susan Alice Fischer -- 3 Delineating the Liminal in Illimitable London: Will Self's The Book of Dave and the Cockney Visionary Sebastian Jenner -- 4 The Changingman: Masculinity, Violence and Revenge in Martin Amis's Yellow Dog Nick Bentley -- 5 Peter Ackroyd's London: The Sacredness of Space and Time Tomasz Niedokos -- 6 Viewing Art in London's Museums: Ekphrasis in Selected Fiction by Julian Barnes, A. S. Byatt and Peter Ackroyd Doris Bremm -- 7 Iain Sinclair: Complexity, Imagination and the Re-Enchanted Margins of London Orbital Laura Colombino -- 8 Feeling London Globally: The Location of Affect in White Teeth Jung Su -- 9 Agency and Conflict in Andrea Levy's Polyphonic London Anja Müller-Wood -- 10 The Liminality of Underground London Nora Pleßke -- 11 The Un-, Ab- and Alter-Londons of China Miéville: Imaginary Spaces for Concrete Subjects Mark P. Williams -- 12 Common People: Class, Gender and Social Change in the London Fiction of Virginia Woolf, John Sommerfield and Zadie Smith Nick Hubble -- Index Cover Half-title Title Copyright Contents Acknowledgements Contributors Introduction: Parallax London 1. Exploring London in Ian McEwan’s Saturday (2005): Trauma and the Traumatological, Identity Politics and Vicarious Victimhood 2. Seeing ‘The Empty Space’: Ali Smith’s The Accidental 3. Delineating the Liminal in Illimitable London: Will Self ’s The Book of Dave and the Cockney Visionary 4. The Changingman: Masculinity, Violence and Revenge in Martin Amis’s Yellow Dog 5. Peter Ackroyd’s London: The Sacredness of Space and Time 6. Viewing Art in London’s Museums: Ekphrasis in Selected Fiction by Julian Barnes, A. S. Byatt and Peter Ackroyd 7. Iain Sinclair: Complexity, Imagination and the Re-Enchanted Margins of London Orbital 8. Feeling London Globally: The Location of Affect in White Teeth 9. Agency and Conflict in Andrea Levy’s Polyphonic London 10. The Liminality of Underground London 11. The Un-, Ab- and Alter-Londons of China Miéville: Imaginary Spaces for Concrete Subjects 12. Common People: Class, Gender and Social Change in the London Fiction of Virginia Woolf, John Sommerfield and Zadie Smith Index