Consumerism and Prestige
The Materiality of Literature in the Modern Age
Edited by Anthony Enns, Bernhard Metz
Publication date:
05 July 2022Publisher
Anthem PressDimensions:
229x153mm6x9"
ISBN-13: 9781839982767
This anthology explores the relationships and interdependencies between literary production and distinctions of taste by examining how the material aspects of literary texts, such as the cover, binding, typography and paper stock, reflect or even determine their cultural status. In many cases, for example, the distinctions between “highbrow” and “lowbrow” taste have little to do with the content of the texts themselves, as books often function as markers of socioeconomic status, like clothing or home décor. One might even go so far as to say that the concept of literary taste is more closely related to fashion sense than critical judgment. The anthology seeks to address this claim by examining how the tensions between consumerism and prestige reflect fundamental historical changes with regard to the development of technology, literacy and social power.
“A valuable international contribution to understanding how the materiality of book publishing is closely tied to social systems of taste and prestige.” – Professor Andrew Piper, Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, McGill University, Canada.