Ghost-seers, detectives, and spiritualists : theories of vision in Victorian literature and science /
"This is an original study of the narrative techniques that developed for two very popular forms of fiction in the nineteenth century - ghost stories and detective stories - and the surprising similarities between them in the context of contemporary theories of vision and sight. Srdjan Smajić a...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge, UK ; New York :
Cambridge University Press,
2010.
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| Series: | Cambridge studies in nineteenth-century literature and culture ;
71. |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Cover image |
| Summary: | "This is an original study of the narrative techniques that developed for two very popular forms of fiction in the nineteenth century - ghost stories and detective stories - and the surprising similarities between them in the context of contemporary theories of vision and sight. Srdjan Smajić argues that to understand how writers represented ghost-seers and detectives, the views of contemporary scientists, philosophers, and spiritualists with which these writers engage have to be taken into account: these views raise questions such as whether seeing really is believing, how much of what we 'see' is actually only inferred, and whether there may be other (intuitive or spiritual) ways of seeing that enable us to perceive objects and beings inaccessible to the bodily senses. This book will make a real contribution to the understanding of Victorian science in culture, and of the ways in which literature draws on all kinds of knowledge"--Provided by publisher. |
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| Physical Description: | xi, 262 pages ; 24 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 238-255) and index. |
| ISBN: | 9780521191883 (hardback) 0521191882 (hardback) |