Description
Book SynopsisReconsiders canonical long eighteenth-century narratives through the conjoined lenses of queer studies and the environmental humanities. Moving from Daniel Defoe’s
Robinson Crusoe to Gothic novels including Mary Shelley’s
Frankenstein, Jeremy Chow investigates the role that bodies of water play in reading these central texts.
Trade Review“Clearly and energetically written, Chow makes a valuable and important contribution to blue humanities criticism in the context of eighteenth-century English literary studies.
The Queerness of Water moves beyond salt water to river banks, water torture, and ice-scapes, to show how a 'beyond the oceans' approach can renovate blue thinking in the eco-humanities. It builds on existing queer ecostudies by connecting contemporary theorists to historical English literature and by making queer studies more watery and watery studies more queer.” - Steven Mentz, St. John's University, author of
Ocean (Object Lessons)“Chow makes an original and substantial contribution to at least three fields: 18th-century literary studies, ecocriticism and the environmental humanities, and queer studies. Such a multi-pronged contribution is rare and important. Queerness also features many excellent close readings, including of authors--such as Jonathan Swift--who have rarely been read through a queer lens.” - Nicole Seymour, California State University, Fullerton, author of
Bad Environmentalism: Irony and Irreverence in the Ecological AgeTable of Contents
- Introduction: What's Queer about Water?
- 1. Taken by Storm
- Intermezzo: Teaching Wreckage in Rising Waters
- 2. See Monkeys
- Intermezzo: Reading Swift on the Planet of the Apes
- 3. Aqueous Punishment
- Intermezzo: Off with Her Head
- 4. Sacrif-Ice
- Intermezzo: Freeze!
- Conclusion: Sea Monsters
