Against World Literature: On the Politics of Untranslatability

Against World Literature: On the Politics of Untranslatability

Against World Literature: On the Politics of Untranslatability argues for a rethinking of comparative literature focusing on the problems that emerge when large-scale paradigms of literary studies ignore the politics of the â€œUntranslatableâ€â€”the realm of those words that are continually retranslated, mistranslated, transferred from language to language, or especially resistant to substitution.

In the place of â€œWorld Literatureâ€â€”a dominant paradigm in the humanities, one grounded in market-driven notions of readability and universal appealâ€”Apter proposes a plurality of â€œworld literaturesâ€ oriented around philosophical concepts and geopolitical pressure points. The history and theory of the language that constructs World Literature is critically examined with a special focus on Weltliteratur, literary world systems, narrative ecosystems, language borders and checkpoints, theologies of translation, and planetary devolution in a book set to revolutionize the discipline of comparative literature.

From the Trade Paperback edition.
Country USA
Manufacturer Verso
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2014-06-17
Format Kindle eBook

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