Routledge The Textual Condition of 19th-Century Literature

Explore a new perspective on literary creativity in the late nineteenth century with this scholarly work from Routledge. In The Textual Condition of Nineteenth-Century Literature, authors Guy and Small present a unique account of how texts are formed and understood. By combining the theories of text-theorists regarding the embodied nature of textuality with the practical, empirical insights of book historians and text-editors, the authors introduce a concept known as the 'textual turn.' This study moves beyond traditional readings to examine what a work textually 'is' by looking at the physical and theoretical aspects of literature. The book provides deep analysis of several major figures, including Dickens, Wilde, Hardy, Yeats, Swinburne, FitzGerald, Pater, Arnold, Pinero, and Shaw. It is an essential resource for students and researchers interested in the intersection of book history, literary theory, and the evolution of nineteenth-century texts.