Decoding the Ancient Novel: The Reader and the Role of Description in Heliodorus and Achilles Tatius

by Shadi Bartsch

Book Overview

Using a reader-oriented approach, Shadi Bartsch reconsiders the role of detailed descriptive accounts in the ancient Greek novels of Heliodorus and Achilles Tatius and in so doing offers a new view of the genre itself. Bartsch demonstrates that these passages, often misunderstood as mere ornamental devices, form in fact an integral part of the narrative proper, working to activate the audience's awareness of the play of meaning in the story. As...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0691606919
• ISBN13: 9780691606910
• Release Date: July 2014
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Length: 212 Pages
• Weight: 0.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.1" x 9.2"