Henry James and the Media Arts of Modernity: Commercial Cosmopolitanism

Book Details

• Author: June Hee Chung

• Publisher: Routledge

• Edition: 1

• Binding: Hardcover

• Number of Pages: 224

• Release Date: 21-03-2019

• ISBN: 9780367204921

• Package Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches

• Languages: English

About the Book

Henry James and the Media Arts of Modernity: Commercial Cosmopolitanism explores the contribution of the celebrated author Henry James to the formation of an American cosmopolitan culture during the rise of modernity. Drawing on his late fiction, letters, and essays, the book delves into the intersection between literary art and the cultural forces of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

This study offers a fresh perspective on James's role in shaping both popular and high art as mass-consumer practices and media technologies, increasingly focused on sensory experiences, spread to Europe in the era of big business. By combining cultural studies, neoclassical Marxism, and postcolonial theory, it highlights James's unique stance as an American writer in a transatlantic cultural exchange.

The book fills a significant gap in scholarship by analyzing the rise of literary modernism as a cosmopolitan phenomenon. While it has traditionally been assumed that European artists had greater influence over American expatriate writers in Europe, Chung argues that James identified a form of cultural American imperialism emerging from a commercialized cosmopolitanism. Rather than simply adopting European styles, James appropriates the arts of modernity and its mechanized principles, producing a diverse range of aesthetic responses to early-20th-century technological and organizational innovations.

Key Features:

• Explores Henry James's Contribution: Investigates James's role in developing American cosmopolitanism and his engagement with media arts.

• Interdisciplinary Approach: Combines cultural studies, Marxism, and postcolonial theory to offer a nuanced view of James's work in the context of modernity.

• Challenging Traditional Narratives: Refutes the common assumption that European artists had a dominant influence over American expatriate writers, asserting James’s influence and agency.

• Cultural Analysis: Uncovers how James's art responds to sensory-focused media technologies and mass-consumer practices emerging in the late 19th century.

This book will appeal to scholars and students of American literature, cultural studies, modernism, and media history, providing a comprehensive examination of Henry James’s work and its role in the shaping of cosmopolitan culture.

Ideal For

• Academics and Researchers: Those studying Henry James’s contribution to modernism, American literature, or cosmopolitan culture.

• Students of Cultural Studies: A key resource for students interested in the intersection of literature and media arts during the rise of modernity.

• Literary Enthusiasts: Anyone interested in how authors like James navigated the cultural and technological shifts of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.