Dissecting Stephen King

From the Gothic to Literary Naturalism

By: Heidi Strengell, John Langdon

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Paperback | 11 February 2008

At a Glance

Paperback
320 Pages

Edition Type
New edition

Dimensions(cm)
22.86 x 15.24 x 1.7

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In a thoughtful, well-informed study exploring fiction from throughout Stephen King's immense oeuvre, Heidi Strengell shows how this popular writer enriches his unique brand of horror by building on the traditions of his literary heritage. Tapping into the wellsprings of the gothic to reveal contemporary phobias, King invokes the abnormal and repressed sexuality of the vampire, the hubris of Frankenstein, the split identity of the werewolf, the domestic melodrama of the ghost tale. Drawing on myths and fairy tales, he creates characters who, like the heroic Roland the Gunslinger and the villainous Randall Flagg, may either reinforce or subvert the reader's childlike faith in society. And in the manner of the naturalist tradition, he reinforces a tension between the free will of the individual and the daunting hand of fate.
Ultimately, Strengell shows how King shatters our illusions of safety and control: "King places his decent and basically good characters at the mercy of indifferent forces, survival depending on their moral strength and the responsibility they may take for their fellow men."

Industry Reviews

"Meticulously researched and argued, Strengell's work offers original insights on King's treatment of gender and sexuality, his use of Gothic tropes and themes, and the literary and mythological influences he has freely adapted. This book is particularly valuable as a resource for defining King's place as a specifically American artist." - Tony Magistrale, author of Landscape of Fear: Stephen King's American Gothic, recently reissued by the Popular Press"

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Abbreviations	p. ix
Introduction	p. 3
King, His World, and Its Characters	p. 7
Interpreter of the Postmodern Condition	p. 17
King's Brand of Horror	p. 22
The Gothic in King's Works	p. 28
Abnormal and Repressed Sexuality (the Vampire)	p. 33
Hubris and Death (Frankenstein's Monster)	p. 53
The Gothic Double (the Werewolf)	p. 68
The Gothic Melodrama (the Ghost)	p. 86
Myths and Fairy Tales in King's Works	p. 108
The Hero as a Generic Hybrid (Roland the Gunslinger)	p. 117
The Antihero as a Generic Hybrid (Randall Flagg)	p. 136
Adapted and Revised Myths and Fairy Tales	p. 156
Mythical and Fairy-Tale Themes	p. 168
Literary Naturalism in King's Works	p. 179
Free Will and Responsibility	p. 189
Genetic and Sociological Determinism	p. 207
Cosmological Determinism and Fate	p. 223
Metafictional Determinism	p. 246
Conclusion	p. 254
A Note on Previous Criticism	p. 269
Bibliography	p. 275
Index	p. 293
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Dissecting Stephen King

From the Gothic to Literary Naturalism

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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