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Farah Mendlesohn
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Rhetorics of Fantasy Kindle Edition

by Farah Mendlesohn (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 54 ratings
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This sweeping study of fantasy literature offers “new and often surprising readings of works both familiar and obscure. A fine critical work” (Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts).

Transcending arguments over the definition of fantasy literature, Rhetorics of Fantasy introduces a provocative new system of classification for the genre. Drawing on nearly two hundred examples of modern fantasy, author Farah Mendlesohn identifies four categories—portal-quest, immersive, intrusion, and liminal—that arise out of the relationship of the protagonist to the fantasy world. Using these sets, Mendlesohn argues that the author's stylistic decisions are then shaped by the inescapably political demands of the category in which they choose to write. 

Each chapter covers at least twenty books in detail, ranging from nineteenth-century fantasy and horror to some of the best works in the contemporary field. Mendlesohn discusses works by more than one hundred authors, including Lloyd Alexander, Peter Beagle, Marion Zimmer Bradley, John Crowley, Stephen R. Donaldson, Stephen King, C. S. Lewis, Gregory Maguire, Robin McKinley, China Miéville, Suniti Namjoshi, Philip Pullman, J. K. Rowling, Sheri S. Tepper, J. R. R. Tolkien, Tad Williams, and many others.

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  1. Print length
    329 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Wesleyan University Press
  5. Publication date
    January 1, 2014
  6. File size
    3931 KB
  7. Page Flip
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Mendlesohn goes well beyond a survey to offer new and often surprising readings of works both familiar and obscure. A fine critical work that offers fresh insights on almost every page."―Brian Attebery, editor, Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts

"Mendlesohn goes well beyond a survey to offer new and often surprising readings of works both familiar and obscure. A fine critical work that offers fresh insights on almost every page."―Brian Attebery, editor, Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts

"A useful and deliberately flexible taxonomy, and an intense engagement with the arms race of rhetoric between makers and users of fantasy. For authors and readers as well as academics and commentators."―M. John Harrison, winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Review

“Mendlesohn goes well beyond a survey to offer new and often surprising readings of works both familiar and obscure. A fine critical work that offers fresh insights on almost every page.” (Brian Attebery, editor, Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts) --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BPXHKF8M
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wesleyan University Press (January 1, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 1, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3931 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 329 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 54 ratings

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Farah Mendlesohn

Farah Mendlesohn

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
54 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Brenda Thatcher
5.0 out of 5 stars Great new views on Fantasy
Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2015
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A necessary tool for anyone who's interested in producing Fantasy fiction of their own.
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Timothy Susman
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Study of Fantasy
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2014
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Really informative and interesting text. Leans heavily on certain examples but does a great job of explaining those examples if you haven't read them; that said, I found the text more interesting and accessible where I had read the example works. Still, for someone interested in reading fantasy with a more critical eye, or writing it with an eye to what has come before and the conventions of the genre (whether to hew to them or play against them), it's a great work and very readable.
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Thea Loennechen
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2015
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Great condition!
One person found this helpful
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C. Hope Starr
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2018
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My students always want to read fantasy. This gave me some constructs about the genre from which to work.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book for Study
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2015
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This isn't fiction, it is a thoughtful analysis of fantasy and the rhetorical nature of it. I think its a great book for the writer, scholar, or fantasy aficionado.
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Lana D
2.0 out of 5 stars I need a different one that actually teaches something
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2016
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Not for learning. Too many quotes. Too confusing. Didn't help me learn Fantasy writing
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Jerold C
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2016
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Informative analysis of fantasy tropes and types of fantastic fiction.
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Sean Holland
4.0 out of 5 stars First steps on a Taxonomic Journey
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2008
Best to start with the "Health Warning: This book is not intended to create rules. Its categories are not intended to fix anything in stone. This book is merely a portal into fantasy, a tour around the skeletons and exoskeletons of the genre." (P. vii)

So, this book is trying to find common ground among the various paths of fantasy so we can at least discuss the various types with some agreed upon framework. Mendleson divides fantasy up into four primary categories:

Portal-Quest Fantasy: These are two strains (well represented by Narnia and Middle Earth) that are almost parallel in how they are told, the protagonist(s) ventures into another/wider world, learning about it and ultimately setting things right. These are stories of correction, often crouched in terms of healing or restoring things to how they once were. It is an interesting section as I never thought about certain aspects of the structure of the Quest fantasy, such as how history must be uncovered and it always true . . . as is prophecy. Characters in the portal-quest fantasy often accept their role reluctantly but they accept that the role is both true and necessary.

Immersive Fantasy: Immersive fantasy is rather odd category, as it is an umbrella for the worlds in which other stories are told, such as mysteries in a fantasy world (Randall Garret's Lord Darcy series) or romances (many, but not my sub-genre) or war stories (Glen Cook's Black Company). Immersive fantasy can even hold other types of fantasy stories within them (such as the intrusion fantasy within China Mieville's Perdito Street Station). The key to immersive fantasies is how they present the world we find ourselves viewing as the only world, the techniques to do so are discussed by Mendleson and where they can fail.

Intrusion Fantasy: These are in some ways the opposite of the Portal Fantasy, with the fantastic breaking through into another world (usually ours). The intrusion fantasy is typified by the horror genre (such as Lovecraft's stories) with every escalating threats and a resolution that restores the status quo . . . or something resembling it. Characters in the intrusion fantasy are often skeptical until almost too late.

Liminal Fantasy: This is the most unusual fantasy, and the smallest category, the one where the fantastic is never fully revealed but always around the next corner or just out of sight. Such as if you had found the wardrobe to Narnia, yet never crossed through. While I have read books that I consider to represent the others, I do not recall reading something which I would put into the liminal category.

Mendleson peppers each section with multiple examples (and a fair amount of technical terminology, see the glossary) and does a good job is discussing the twists and turns of each genre as well as counter examples and a concluding chapter ("The Irregulars": Subverting the Taxonomy) on those books that do not fit into the four categories above. Again, not featuring books I have read but still interesting.

Just as it is intended to do, it makes me think about ways to discus fantasy and as such I believe this is a successful book. I hope to see more from Mendleson, and others, on this subject for an agreed upon vocabulary is a useful tool for discussing a subject that we all enjoy.

A useful glossary of terms for the non-English majors reading this book:

Dialectic - Finding truth through discussion and debate.

Phatic- In linguistics, a phatic expression is one whose only function is to perform a social task, as opposed to conveying information.

Metonymy - A word or expression used for something that it is closely related to (i.e. Downing Street to refer to the British Prime Minister).

Mimesis - Imitative representation of the real world in fiction. Thus Mimetic Fiction tries to represent the world as it is.

Monosemy- A text having a single meaning, an absence of ambiguity (usually used of individual words or phrases).

Polysemy / Polysemic - The idea that texts are capable of many potential meanings and readings and can be read in a variety of ways.

Solipsism - The view that the self is all that can be know to exist.

Taxonomy - A scheme of classification; theory and practice of classification.
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Top reviews from other countries

Ceyanna M.
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic
Reviewed in Canada on January 27, 2020
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This book is fantastic and a great resource for the subjects they cover. Their chapter on portal-quest fantasy is exceptionally helpful, but the rest of the chapters are just as great of a resource.
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Masha
5.0 out of 5 stars A genuine must read..
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 23, 2013
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This is a must for anyone studying or planning to read fantasy fiction. The jargon is clearly explained, and the bibliography is crammed with interesting novels, plus other books on fantasy. if you want to read beyond High Fantasy and find books that you might not have even thought of reading, then this book is invaluable.
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Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars It is incredible if your interests fall in academic critique but if you're looking to write science fiction and fantasy then I wouldn't recommend this book ( i imagine the author wouldn't either ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 29, 2017
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The book is an academic critique of Fantasy Writing. It is incredible if your interests fall in academic critique but if you're looking to write science fiction and fantasy then I wouldn't recommend this book ( i imagine the author wouldn't either as this wasn't her intention )
Must of what is discussed is themes and arguments in Fantasy writing and not instruction. Anyone looking to write science fiction and fantasy, the topics covered are things you would know from reading any sci-fi fantasy book.
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Samscribe
5.0 out of 5 stars Uni reading
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 18, 2015
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My daughter is happy .... So I'm a happy Dad!!
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