
Embryology and the Rise of the Gothic Novel
Diana Pérez Edelman(Author)
Palgrave Macmillan (Publisher)
Published on 3. July 2022
Book
Paperback/Softback
XII, 179 pages
978-3-030-73650-7 (ISBN)
Description
This book argues that embryology and the reproductive sciences played a key role in the rise of the Gothic novel in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Diana Pérez Edelman dissects Horace Walpole's use of embryological concepts in the development of his Gothic imagination and provides an overview of the conflict between preformation and epigenesis in the scientific community. The book then explores the ways in which Gothic literature can be read as epigenetic in its focus on internally sourced modes of identity, monstrosity, and endless narration. The chapters analyze Horace Walpole's
The Castle of Otranto
; Ann Radcliffe's
A Sicilian Romance
,
The Italian
, and
The Mysteries of Udolpho
; Mary Shelley's
Frankenstein
; Charles Robert Maturin's
Melmoth the Wanderer
; and James Hogg's
Confessions of a Justified Sinner
, arguing that these touchstones of the Gothic register
why
the Gothic emerged at that time and
why
it continues today: the mysteries of reproduction remain unsolved.
Reviews / Votes
"Embryology and the Rise of The Gothic Novel is an interesting and well-researched monograph, offering original insights into the development of the Gothic alongside eighteenth-century embryological discourses. It provides a critical and informative literary-scientific perspective into well-known as well as understudied texts of Gothic literature. I recommend it as a reference for eighteenth-century Gothic fiction, specifically for researchers interested in epigenetic literature and embryological discourses." (Arwa F. Al-Mubaddel, The British Society for Literature and Science, bsls.ac.uk, June 6, 2024)
More details
Series
Edition
2021 ed.
Language
English
Place of publication
Cham
Switzerland
Publishing group
Springer International Publishing
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
XII, 179 p.
Dimensions
Height: 210 mm
Width: 148 mm
Thickness: 11 mm
Weight
256 gr
ISBN-13
978-3-030-73650-7 (9783030736507)
DOI
10.1007/978-3-030-73648-4
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Diana Pérez Edelman
Embryology and the Rise of the Gothic Novel
Book
07/2021
Palgrave Macmillan
€128.39
Shipment within 7-9 days
Person
Diana P
é
rez Edelman
is Associate Professor of English at the University of North Georgia, Gainesville, USA.
Content
1. Conceiving the Gothic; or, "A New Species of Romance".- 2. "A very natural dream"; or, The Castle of Otranto.- 3. "The liberty of choice"; or, The Novels of Ann Radcliffe.- 4. "Dark, shapeless substances"; or, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.- 5. "Nature preached a milder theology"; Or, Melmoth the Wanderer.- 6. "Something scarcely tangible"; Or, James Hogg's Confessions.- 7. Conclusion: Gothic Offspring; or, "the qualitas occulta".