Description
Book SynopsisNecromanticism is a study of literary pilgrimage: readers'' compulsion to visit literary homes, landscapes, and (especially) graves during the long Romantic period. The book draws on the histories of tourism and literary genres to highlight Romanticism''s recourse to the dead in its reading, writing, and canon-making practices.
Trade Review"Necromanticism is a critically reflective, thoroughly researched, and unexpectedly upbeat study of literary necro-tourism in Britain, associated Anglo-American discourses and cultural practises, and the implications for modern scholarly interpretations of Romantic historiography, reading and canon-making." - Samantha Matthews, University of Bristol, UK
''Westover's book, then, invites a critical reflection on our understanding of 'Romanticism' itself through his thoughtful analysis of the ways in which living authors writing about dead authors are engaged in defining (even as they hope, in turn, to become defined by) the commemorative narraties that go into creating a shared literary heritage.'' - Byron Journal
''Westover intelligently synthesises perspectives from different disciplines and critical approaches to produce a distinctive reading of the cultural ramifications of trying to commune with authors' spirits in close proximity to their bodies.'' - Samantha Matthews, Uniersity of Bristol, UK
"A crucial development in the field of literary tourism... Westover's book is particularly insightful in providing literary touristic practices with a theoretical underpinning... Even when Westover is stepping on trodden critical ground, he provides a fresh perspective through subtle analysis... valuable reading for nineteenth-century scholars across the disciplines of the humanities." Rebecca Butler, The BARS Review
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgements Introduction - Traveling to Meet the Dead On Ideal Presence The Origins of Literary Tourism William Godwin, Necro-Tourism, and the Empirical Afterlife of the Dead Imaginary Pilgrimages: Felicia Hemans, Dead Poets, and Romantic Historiography Interlude: Necromanticism and Romantic Authorship The Transatlantic Invention of 'English' Literary Heritage Illustration, Historicism, and Travel: The Legacy of Sir Walter Scott Notes Works Consulted Index
