Northampton Electronic Collection of Theses and Research

Katherine Mansfield: The View From France

Kimber, G. (2008) Katherine Mansfield: The View From France. Bern, Switzerland: Peter Lang. 9783039113927.

Item Type: Book
Abstract: This book assesses the reason why Katherine Mansfield's reputation in France has always been greater than in England. It examines the ways in which the French reception of Mansfield has idealised her persona to the extent of crafting a hagiography. Mansfield is placed within the general literary context of her era, exploring French literary tendencies at the time and juxtaposing them with the main literary trends in England. The author determines the motives behind the French critics' desire to put Mansfield on a pedestal, discusses how the three years she spent on French soil influenced her writing and whether the translations of her work collude in the myth surrounding her personality. This book is the first sustained attempt to establish interconnections between her own French influences (literary and otherwise) and the myth-making of the French critics and translators. The book also follows the critical appraisal of Mansfield's life and work in France from her death up to the present day, by closely analysing the differing French critical responses. The author reveals how these various strands combine to create a legend which has little basis in fact, thereby demonstrating how reception and translation determine the importance of an author's reputation in the literary world
Subjects: P Language and Literature > PR English literature > PR8309 English literature: Provincial, local, etc. > PR9639.3 New Zealand literature
Creators: Kimber, Gerri
Publisher: Peter Lang
Faculties, Divisions and Institutes: University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Faculty of Education & Humanities > English and Creative Writing
University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Research Centre > Centre for Critical and Creative Writing
Faculties > Faculty of Education & Humanities > English and Creative Writing
Research Centres > Centre for Critical and Creative Writing
Date: 2008
Date Type: Publication
Series Name: European connections
Volume: 28
Place of Publication: Bern, Switzerland
Number of Pages: 290
Language: English
ISBN: 9783039113927
Status: Published / Disseminated
Refereed: Yes
URI: http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/id/eprint/4681

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