Dialogues with/and Great Books: The Dynamics of Canon Formation

The book’s first section provides useful distinctions between various types of dialogue, develops theoretical arguments, and empirically tests intriguing cases. The second half of the book presents in-depth readings of literary and artistic dialogues with well established canonical works, including Monty Python’s The Life of Brian, Jonathan Swift’s distortion of Thomas More’s Utopia and some modern adaptations of Ovid’s Pygmalion, and provides an opportunity to examine the process by which dialogues contribute to a work’s reputation. Through its special blend of theoretical arguments, empirical methods and sensitive interpretations, Dialogues with/and Great Books offers a stimulating invitation to rethink the concepts of literary canon and intertextuality, as well as the intricate connections between the two.