Cambridge University Press Ghost-Seers, Detectives, and Spiritualists: Theories of Vision in Victorian Literature and Science: 71 (Cambridge Studies in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture, Series Number 71)

This book is a 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. Review "Ghost-Seers, Detectives, an Spiritualists presents absorbing discussions of overlooked theories and diversifies our understanding of visual perception in the nineteenth century, especially as it applies to the popular literature of the period." --Journal Book Description This book examines how nineteenth-century ghost and detective fiction writers engage with contemporary theories of vision. About the Author Srdjan Smajić is Assistant Professor of English at the University of Furman.