The Cultural Politics of Chick Lit

Popular Fiction, Postfeminism and Representation

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, Feminist Criticism, Women Authors
Cover of the book The Cultural Politics of Chick Lit by Heike Missler, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Heike Missler ISBN: 9781317235316
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: November 3, 2016
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Heike Missler
ISBN: 9781317235316
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: November 3, 2016
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

Chick lit is the marketing label attributed to a surge of books published in the wake of Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary (1996) and Candace Bushnell's Sex and the City (1997). Branded by their pink or pastel-coloured book covers, chick-lit novels have been a highly successful and ubiquitous product of women's popular culture since the late 1990s.

This study traces the evolution of chick lit not only as a genre of popular fiction, but as a cultural phenomenon. It complicates the genealogy of the texts by situating them firmly in the context of age-old debates about female literary creation, and by highlighting the dynamics of the popular-fiction market. Offering a convincing dissection of the formula which lies at the heart of chick lit, as well as in-depth analyses of a number of chick-lit titles ranging from classic to more recent and edgier texts, this book yields new insights into a relatively young field of academic study. Its close readings provide astute assessments of chick lit's notoriously skewed representational politics, especially with regard to sexuality and ethnicity, which feed into current discussions about postfeminism. Moreover, the study makes a unique contribution to the scholarly debate of chick lit by including an analysis of the (online) fan communities the genre has fostered.

The Cultural Politics of Chick Lit weaves a sound methodological network, drawing on reader-response criticism; feminist, gender, and queer theory; affect studies; and whiteness studies. This book is an accessible and engaging study for anyone interested in postfeminism and popular culture.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Chick lit is the marketing label attributed to a surge of books published in the wake of Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary (1996) and Candace Bushnell's Sex and the City (1997). Branded by their pink or pastel-coloured book covers, chick-lit novels have been a highly successful and ubiquitous product of women's popular culture since the late 1990s.

This study traces the evolution of chick lit not only as a genre of popular fiction, but as a cultural phenomenon. It complicates the genealogy of the texts by situating them firmly in the context of age-old debates about female literary creation, and by highlighting the dynamics of the popular-fiction market. Offering a convincing dissection of the formula which lies at the heart of chick lit, as well as in-depth analyses of a number of chick-lit titles ranging from classic to more recent and edgier texts, this book yields new insights into a relatively young field of academic study. Its close readings provide astute assessments of chick lit's notoriously skewed representational politics, especially with regard to sexuality and ethnicity, which feed into current discussions about postfeminism. Moreover, the study makes a unique contribution to the scholarly debate of chick lit by including an analysis of the (online) fan communities the genre has fostered.

The Cultural Politics of Chick Lit weaves a sound methodological network, drawing on reader-response criticism; feminist, gender, and queer theory; affect studies; and whiteness studies. This book is an accessible and engaging study for anyone interested in postfeminism and popular culture.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Women, War, Violence and Learning by Heike Missler
Cover of the book Psychotherapy and Spiritual Direction by Heike Missler
Cover of the book Livelihoods, Natural Resources, and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding by Heike Missler
Cover of the book A History of Ireland by Heike Missler
Cover of the book The Making of Indigeneity, Curriculum History, and the Limits of Diversity by Heike Missler
Cover of the book Networks, Terrorism and Global Insurgency by Heike Missler
Cover of the book Addressing the Sexual Rights of Older People by Heike Missler
Cover of the book Early Modern Italy by Heike Missler
Cover of the book The Economics of Natural Resources in Latin America by Heike Missler
Cover of the book Imperialism and Postcolonialism by Heike Missler
Cover of the book The Nazi Germany Sourcebook by Heike Missler
Cover of the book Group Processes by Heike Missler
Cover of the book Architecture in a Climate of Change by Heike Missler
Cover of the book Learning and Literacy over Time by Heike Missler
Cover of the book Advancing Ethnography in Corporate Environments by Heike Missler
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy