Routledge - The Acoustic Self in English Modernism and Beyond

Explore the deep connections between musical structure and human identity in The Acoustic Self in English Modernism and Beyond. This scholarly work by Routledge examines how musical meaning-making serves as an analogy for human subjectivity within the modernist English novel. By investigating the concept of the acoustic self, the book reveals how musical characterization relates to the representation of the subject. The text organizes its analysis around three central musical topics: the fugue, absolute music, and Gesamtkunstwerk. These modes are used to address the complex dilemmas of selfhood and identity found in modernist literature. Through detailed examination, the author reflects on how these musical elements manifest in the writings of influential authors such as E.M. Forster and Aldous Huxley. This volume provides a unique perspective for those studying the intersection of music theory and literary modernism, offering a way to understand how writing can mirror musicality to express the complexities of the self.