SCANDALOUS FICTIONS: THE TWENTIETH-CENTURY NOVEL IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE; ED. BY JAGO MORRISON

Riven by world wars and cold wars, atrocities and genocides, the twentieth-century was also one of sexual, cultural and ideological revolutions, each inscribed across the fictions it produced. This fascinating new volume re-examines the twentieth-century novel as a form shaped by its problematic, often scandalous relation to the public sphere. Discussing ten groundbreaking texts against the challenges of their milieux, it considers twentieth century fiction as a tradition of transgression, perennially caught between license and licentiousness, erudition and sedition. Riven By World Wars And Cold Wars, Atrocities And Genocides, The Twentieth Century Was Also One Of Sexual, Cultural And Ideological Revolutions, Each Inscribed Across The Fictions It Produced. This Fascinating New Collection Of Original Essays Re-examines The Twentieth-century Novel As A Form Shaped By Its Problematic, Often Scandalous Relation To The Public Sphere. Such Iconic Texts Were Crucial In Negotiating A Public Space And Voice For Fiction In The Twentieth Century, Repositioning Their Readers And Challenging Popular Notions Of Privacy And Probity. Leading Contributors Consider Ten Novels That Changed Readers' Lives As Well As Public Perceptions Of The Purpose Of Fiction: The Satanic Verses, Lady Chatterley's Lover, Beloved, On The Road, Disgrace, Ulysses, The Well Of Loneliness, A Man Of The People, Native Son, And The Hand That Signed The Paper. Three Were The Subject Of Famous Trials For Obscenity; Others Were Accused Of Being Blasphemous, Libellous, Seditious, Even Racist. Rewriting The Critical Consensus, The Collection Is An Attempt To Think Afresh About The Twentieth-century Novel As A Tradition Of Transgression, Perennially Caught Between License And Licentiousness, Erudition And Sedition. Introduction : The Twentieth-century Novel In The Public Sphere / Jago Morrison And Susan Watkins -- The 'nameless Shamelessness' Of Ulysses : Libel And The Law Of Literature / Sean Lantham -- 'the Aristocracy Of Intellect' : Inversion And Inheritance In Radclyffe Hall's The Well Of Loneliness / Susan Watkins -- The Law And The Profits : The Case Of D.h. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover / Fiona Becket -- 'you Reckon Folks Really Act Like That?' : Horror Films And The Work Of Popular Culture In Richard Wright's Native Son / James Smethurst -- Scandalous For Being Scandalous : 'monstrous Huge Fuck[s]' And 'slambanging Big Sodomies' In Jack Kerouac's On The Road / R.j. Ellis -- Chinua Achebe's A Man Of The People : The Novel And The Public Sphere / Jago Morrison -- 'precious Gift/piece Of Shit' : Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses And The Revenge Of History / Shailja Sharma -- Toni Morrison's Beloved : The Scandal That Disturbed Domestic Tranquility / Marilyn Sanders Mobley -- Helen Darville, The Hand That Signed The Paper : Who Is 'helen Demidenko'? / Sue Vice -- J.m. Coetzee's Disgrace : Reading Race/reading Scandal / Kai Easton. Edited By Jago Morrison And Susan Watkins. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Notes on Contributors......Page 11 Introduction: the Twentieth-Century Novel in the Public Sphere......Page 14 1 The ‘nameless shamelessness’ of Ulysses: Libel and the Law of Literature......Page 40 2 ‘The aristocracy of intellect’: Inversion and Inheritance in Radclyffe Hall’s The Well of Loneliness......Page 61 3 The Law and the Profits: the Case of D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover......Page 83 4 ‘You Reckon Folks Really Act Like That?’: Horror Films and the Work of Popular Culture in Richard Wright’s Native Son......Page 96 5 Scandalous for being Scandalous: ‘monstrous huge fuck[s]’ and ‘slambanging big sodomies’ in Jack Kerouac’s On the Road......Page 112 6 Chinua Achebe’s A Man of the People: the Novel and the Public Sphere......Page 130 7 ‘Precious Gift/Piece of Shit’: Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses and the Revenge of History......Page 149 8 Toni Morrison’s Beloved: the Scandal that Disturbed Domestic Tranquillity......Page 163 9 Helen Darville, The Hand that Signed the Paper: Who is ‘Helen Demidenko’?......Page 185 10 J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace: Reading Race/Reading Scandal......Page 200 Afterword......Page 219 Index......Page 222 Riven by world wars and cold wars, atrocities and genocides, the twentieth century was also a time of sexual, cultural and ideological revolutions, each inscribed across the fictions it produced. This fascinating new collection of original essays re-examines the twentieth-century novel as a form shaped by its problematic, often scandalous relation to the public sphere. Such iconic texts were crucial in negotiating a public space and voice for fiction in the twentieth century, repositioning their readers and challenging popular notions of privacy and probity. Leading contributors consider ten novels that changed readers' lives as well as public perceptions of the purpose of fiction: The Satanic Verses, Lady Chatterley's Lover, Beloved, On The Road, Disgrace, Ulysses, The Well of Loneliness, A Man of the People, Native Son, and The Hand that Signed the Paper. Three were the subject of famous trials for obscenity; others were accused of being blasphemous, libellous, seditious, even racist. Rewriting the critical consensus, the collection is an attempt to think afresh about the twentieth-century novel as a tradition of transgression, perennially caught between licence and licentiousness, erudition and sedition This study re-examines the twentieth-century novel as a form shaped by its problematic, often scandalous relation to the public sphere. Discussing ten texts against the challenges of their milieus, it considers twentieth-century fiction as a tradition of transgression, perennially caught between license and licentiousness, erudition and sedition. Riven by world wars and cold wars, atrocities and genocides, the 20th century was also one of sexual, cultural & ideological revolutions, each inscribed across the fictions it produced. This text re-examines the 20th century novel as a form shaped by its problematic, often scandalous relation to the public sphere