Fanfiction for Literary Scholars???

[fictional]

Why have I never heard about this before?

...McGann suggested that Walter Scott's famous romance fiction Ivanhoe contained within itself many alternative narrative possibilities, and he added that this kind of thing was characteristic of imaginative works in general. Scott's book epitomizes this situation in the many continuations it spawned throughout the nineteenth-century - versions in different genres as well as other kinds of responses, textual, pictorial, musical. For example, when many Victorian readers complained about Scott's decision to marry Ivanhoe to Rowena and not Rebecca, they were clearly responding to one of the book's underdeveloped possibilities. In our own day readers often react to other unresolved tensions in the book - for example, to the complex ways it handles, and mishandles, the subject of anti-Semitism. "Everyone knows that an anti-Semitic strain runs through the novel," he said. "The question is: 'What are you prepared to DO about it? Victorians rewrote and reimagined the book. Why are we so hesitant about doing the same thing?'"

The concept of criticism as "a doing", as action and intervention, is a founding principle of IVANHOE.
...

Fanfiction as criticism! Two great tastes...

Comments

[rm.livejournal.com]

There's so much criticism floatng around about it, these days, but while it would be obviously, from this, incorrect to say this ia new angle, this is certainly the one people are lacking balls to have at.

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

Fanfiction - it's not just for fun anymore? It's odd though - I've seen work on the fanfiction phenomenon a lot, but not so much reputable scholars (really, really reputable) trying to engage it as the actual endeavor and not just the subject.

I am in serious amounts of pain; my innards decided to go painfully haywire circa 4:30am, and I am full of woe!

[rm.livejournal.com]

Well, I think, among other things, you've found something unique you're going to get to bring to what you do at some point. It's really exciting. Really, really exciting.

Intestinal distress, however, isn't at all. Other than making soothing noises at you virtually, let me know if there is anything I can do.

I did have a very exicitng trip to Home Depot the other day though, btw

[torenheksje.livejournal.com]

Not that this has a darn thing to do with your post, which I *do* find interesting, BTW, but rm did a little pimping on your behalf. Thus, Happy Birthday!

I did want to just mention that I'm loving Descensus. :c)

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

So glad you're enjoying Descensus - we should have more for you soon.

Thanks so much for stopping by and for the felications! *grin*

[labellerose.livejournal.com]

Here via rm with natal felicitations. Happy Birthday!

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! (I think I've only just now recovered from the hangover enough to see this, so apologies for the late reply.) Your good wishes are much appreciated.