About the book
Why did eighteenth-century writers employ digression as a literary form of diversion, and how did their readers come to enjoy linguistic and textual devices that self-consciously disrupt the reading experience? Darryl P. Domingo answers these questions through an examination of the formative period in the commercialization of leisure in England, and the coincidental coming of age of literary self-consciousness in works published between approximately 1690 and 1760. During this period, commercial entertainers tested out new ways of gratifying a public increasingly eager for amusement, while professional writers explored the rhetorical possibilities of intrusion, obstruction, and interruption through their characteristic use of devices like digression. Such devices adopt similar forms and fulfil similar functions in literature as do diversions in culture: they 'unbend the mind' and reveal the complex reciprocity between commercialized leisure and commercial literature in the age of Swift, Pope, and Fielding.
Editions of The Rhetoric of Diversion in English Literature and Culture, 1690-1760
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781107146273
Read an Excerpt
Why did eighteenth-century writers employ digression as a literary form of diversion, and how did their readers come to enjoy linguistic and textual devices that self-consciously disrupt the reading experience? Darryl P. Domingo answers these questions through an examination of the formative period in the commercialization of leisure in England, and the coincidental coming of age of literary self-consciousness in works published between approximately 1690 and 1760. During this period, commercial entertainers tested out new ways of gratifying a public increasingly eager for amusement, while professional writers explored the rhetorical possibilities of intrusion, obstruction, and interruption through their characteristic use of devices like digression. Such devices adopt similar forms and fulfil similar functions in literature as do diversions in culture: they 'unbend the mind' and reveal the complex reciprocity between commercialized leisure and commercial literature in the age of Swift, Pope, and Fielding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Rhetoric of Diversion in English Literature and Culture, 1690-1760 about?
Why did eighteenth-century writers employ digression as a literary form of diversion, and how did their readers come to enjoy linguistic and textual devices that self-consciously disrupt the reading experience? Darryl P. Domingo answers these questions through an examination of the formative period in the commercialization of leisure in England, and the coincidental coming of age of literary self-consciousness in works published between approximately 1690 and 1760. During this period, commercial entertainers tested out new ways of gratifying a public increasingly eager for amusement, while professional writers explored the rhetorical possibilities of intrusion, obstruction, and interruption through their characteristic use of devices like digression. Such devices adopt similar forms and fulfil similar functions in literature as do diversions in culture: they 'unbend the mind' and reveal the complex reciprocity between commercialized leisure and commercial literature in the age of Swift, Pope, and Fielding.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The Rhetoric of Diversion in English Literature and Culture, 1690-1760?
Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Literature: history and criticism > Literary studies: general > Literary studies: c 1800 to c 1900
Where can I read a sample of The Rhetoric of Diversion in English Literature and Culture, 1690-1760?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781107146273
Who is/are the Author/s of the book The Rhetoric of Diversion in English Literature and Culture, 1690-1760?
Darryl P. Domingo
Who is the Publisher of the book The Rhetoric of Diversion in English Literature and Culture, 1690-1760?
Cambridge University Press
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
The Rhetoric of Diversion in English Literature and Culture, 1690-1760 is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781107146273)