1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910813410903321

Autore

Ruthven K. K

Titolo

Faking literature / / K.K. Ruthven

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Cambridge ; ; New York, : Cambridge University Press, 2001

ISBN

1-107-11775-5

1-280-15390-3

0-511-11787-6

0-511-01865-7

0-511-15638-3

0-511-30410-2

0-511-48320-1

0-511-04846-7

Edizione

[1st ed.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (x, 237 pages) : digital, PDF file(s)

Disciplina

098/.3

Soggetti

English literature - History and criticism - Theory, etc

Literary forgeries and mystifications - History

Literature - History and criticism - Theory, etc

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (p. 201-226) and indexes.

Nota di contenuto

1. Sampling the spurious -- 2. Framing literary forgery -- 3. Cultivating spuriosity -- 4. Faultlines of authorship -- 5. Fantasies of originality -- 6. Rhetorics of authenticity -- 7. Fake literature as critique.

Sommario/riassunto

Literary forgeries are usually regarded as spurious versions of genuine literature. Faking Literature, first published in 2001, argues that the production of a literary forgery is an act that reveals the spurious nature of literature itself. Literature has long been under attack because of its alliance with rhetoric (the art of persuasion) rather than with logic and ethics. One way of deflecting such attacks is to demonise literary forgery: literature acquires the illusion of authenticity by being dissociated from what are represented as ersatz approximations of the real thing. Ruthven argues that literary forgery is the creative manifestation of cultural critique. As a powerful indictment of dubious practices in such activities as literary criticism, book-reviewing and the



awarding of literary prizes, literary forgery merits serious attention from cultural analysts, and should be a key component of literary studies. This intriguing book will be of interest to all teachers, students and readers of English literature.