Bakhtin and Powys ‘en dialogue’: Two Contemporary Views on Rabelais
This paper is about two critical works on Rabelais written at almost the same time, one by the philosopher and literary critic, Mikhaïl Bakhtin, and the other by the English novelist and essayist John Cowper Powys. A close reading of the two texts shows a lot of similarities in these two men’s appro...
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Presses Universitaires de la Méditerranée
2008-05-01
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Series: | Études Britanniques Contemporaines |
Online Access: | http://journals.openedition.org/ebc/9422 |
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doaj-69f10f13df844e8692d35979c4753a9f2020-11-25T03:58:18ZengPresses Universitaires de la MéditerranéeÉtudes Britanniques Contemporaines1168-49172008-05-013310.4000/ebc.9422Bakhtin and Powys ‘en dialogue’: Two Contemporary Views on RabelaisFlorence Marie-LaverrouThis paper is about two critical works on Rabelais written at almost the same time, one by the philosopher and literary critic, Mikhaïl Bakhtin, and the other by the English novelist and essayist John Cowper Powys. A close reading of the two texts shows a lot of similarities in these two men’s approaches to Rabelais. Using one of Bakhtin’s most potent concepts—that of dialogue—it is, however, possible to take a closer look and see some of the weaker points and assets of their respective works. Little by little, the very personal conception Powys had of literary criticism emerges. His aim was not simply to speak about Rabelais and his books but to let the French writer’s style take him over. Thus Powys’s critical work, which is an open text, mirrors Rabelais’ aesthetic and demonstrates all the while that the two writers’ aesthetics are the vehicle for their ethical positions.http://journals.openedition.org/ebc/9422 |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Florence Marie-Laverrou |
spellingShingle |
Florence Marie-Laverrou Bakhtin and Powys ‘en dialogue’: Two Contemporary Views on Rabelais Études Britanniques Contemporaines |
author_facet |
Florence Marie-Laverrou |
author_sort |
Florence Marie-Laverrou |
title |
Bakhtin and Powys ‘en dialogue’: Two Contemporary Views on Rabelais |
title_short |
Bakhtin and Powys ‘en dialogue’: Two Contemporary Views on Rabelais |
title_full |
Bakhtin and Powys ‘en dialogue’: Two Contemporary Views on Rabelais |
title_fullStr |
Bakhtin and Powys ‘en dialogue’: Two Contemporary Views on Rabelais |
title_full_unstemmed |
Bakhtin and Powys ‘en dialogue’: Two Contemporary Views on Rabelais |
title_sort |
bakhtin and powys ‘en dialogue’: two contemporary views on rabelais |
publisher |
Presses Universitaires de la Méditerranée |
series |
Études Britanniques Contemporaines |
issn |
1168-4917 |
publishDate |
2008-05-01 |
description |
This paper is about two critical works on Rabelais written at almost the same time, one by the philosopher and literary critic, Mikhaïl Bakhtin, and the other by the English novelist and essayist John Cowper Powys. A close reading of the two texts shows a lot of similarities in these two men’s approaches to Rabelais. Using one of Bakhtin’s most potent concepts—that of dialogue—it is, however, possible to take a closer look and see some of the weaker points and assets of their respective works. Little by little, the very personal conception Powys had of literary criticism emerges. His aim was not simply to speak about Rabelais and his books but to let the French writer’s style take him over. Thus Powys’s critical work, which is an open text, mirrors Rabelais’ aesthetic and demonstrates all the while that the two writers’ aesthetics are the vehicle for their ethical positions. |
url |
http://journals.openedition.org/ebc/9422 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT florencemarielaverrou bakhtinandpowysendialoguetwocontemporaryviewsonrabelais |
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