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Dialogues with / and Great Books
The Dynamics of Canon Formation

David Fishelov
David Fishelov is an associate professor of Comparative Literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the author of Metaphors of Genres: The Role of Analogies in Genre Theories (Penn State University Press 1993), Like a Rainfall: Studies on Poetic Simile (The Magness Pres 1996) (in Hebrew) and Samson's Locks: The Transformations of Biblical Samson (Haifa University Press 2000) (in Hebrew). He has also published numerous articles on genre theory, figurative language, the Bible in modern literature and Eighteenth Century literature.

“In this outstanding study of literary greatness, David Fishelov adds depth to the existing theories of reception history and intertextuality. Recognizing the essential role of parody, re-writing, and adaptation in canon formation, Fishelov gives novel readings of familiar and less familiar dialogues—ranging from Kierkegaard and the Binding of Isaac to Coetzee’s Foe and Robinson Crusoe, and even including Monty Python’s parodic treatment of the New Testament. The theoretical discussions and the close readings are enlightening and clearly written.” Ken Frieden, Syracuse University, New York, author of Genius and Monologue

What is the source of a book's perceived greatness and why do certain books become part of the accepted canon? This book presents a fresh perspective on these questions, revisiting prevalent approaches that explain a work’s reputation in terms of its aesthetic qualities (“the beauty view”) or as the result of dictates by social hegemonies (“the power view”). Fishelov argues that the most important source of a book's perceived greatness is the number and variety of echoes and dialogues which it generates with readers, authors, translators, adaptors, artists and critics. Part I (“What Is a Dialogue? What Is a Great Book”) provides useful distinctions between different kinds of dialogue (genuine dialogue, dialogue-of-the-deaf and echo-dialogue), develops theoretical arguments (why the dialogic approach is not circular), and empirically tests intriguing cases (why has Candide, and not Rasselas won the race for literary fame?). Part II (“Genuine Dialogues with Great Books”) presents in-depth readings of literary and artistic dialogues with well established canonical works – including Monty Python’s The Life of Brian, Swift’s distortion of 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.
… Innumerable illustrations of Robinson Crusoe, an operetta based on Voltaire's Candide, DeMille's cinematic version of the biblical story of Samson and Delilah, a contemporary song that quotes lines from Horace – also illustrate the vital role played by artists outside of the literary field in making certain works stand out as masterpieces.
… Through its special blend of theoretical arguments, empirical methods and sensitive interpretations, Dialogues with/and Great Books offers a stimulating invitation to re-think the concepts of Literary Canon and Intertextuality, as well as the intricate connections between the two.

Preface Part I: What Is a Dialogue? What Is a Great Book? Chapter One: Real Life Dialogues Different Factors and Two Basic Levels Types of Dialogue (and Monologue Too) Dialogues: The Passive/Active Scale Two Words of Caution Chapter Two: Literary Dialogues Genuine Literary Dialogues Echo Literary Dialogues: Reading Echo Literary Dialogues: Translation, Adaptation Literary Dialogues-of-the-Deaf One Table, Two Clarifications Chapter Three: The Battle of the (Great) Books The Beauty Party The Power Party The Two Parties: Another Angle Choosing Between the Two Parties Chapter Four: The Dialogic Approach to Great Books Many and Diverse Dialogues The Dialogic Approach: Some Facts for a Change The Booker Prize and the Limitations of Institutional Power The Race for Fame: Candide, Rasselas and QWERTY Objections to the Dialogic Approach Models for Literary Dialogues: Ladder, Tree, Ponytail Dissemination: The Pyramid Model Part II: Some Genuine Dialogues with Great Books Chapter Five: The Sacrifice Scene – Kierkegaard and Levin Kierkegaard's Abraham: Imaginary Poetic Variations The Satirical Version of Hanoch Levin Chapter Six: Samson – Jabotinsky and DeMille Jabotinsky's Samson: A Secular National Hero DeMille's Samson: A Christian, Forgiving Lover Jabotinsky and DeMille: Two Genuine Dialogues Chapter Seven: Jesus Christ – Monty Python and Saramago Monty Python's Hilarious Parody Saramago's Serious Re-telling Parody and Re-writing Chapter Eight: Horace in Pushkin, Owen and Diderot Horace's Glorious Monument in Pushkin The Glory of Dying for One's Country: Owen vs. Horace The Motto for Le Neveu de Rameau as an Association Generator Anger and Excitement in Horace's Satire 2.7 Excitement and Self-Acceleration in Le Neveu de Rameau Quotes: Form, Function and Genuine Dialogue Chapter Nine: Juvenal's Satire X – Johnson and Swift Juvenal's Self-Propelling Explosion in Satire 10 Johnson's Taming of Juvenal's Explosion Swift's Narrative Variation on a Theme Johnson and Swift – Form and Spirit Chapter Ten: Pygmalion – Ovid, Shaw & My Fair Lady via Molière A Non-Declared Dialogue: Molière's L'Ecole des Femmes Shaw: Pygmalion as a Sculptor of Speech My Fair Lady: Back to Ovid's Pygmalion The Complex Chain of DTs (Dialoguing Texts) Chapter Eleven: More's Utopia – Bacon, Swift and Voltaire Bacon's Scientific Utopia Swift contra Utopia, or Sat-opia Voltaire's Short Comical Version Different Stands and Structural Variations Chapter Twelve: Robinson Crusoe, the Variety Principle Revisited Robinson Crusoe and the Dialogic Approach Some Versions of Pseudo-Dialogues Versions of Genuine Dialogues A Concluding Image Concluding Remarks Bibliography Index

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