Spatiality

by Robert T. Tally Jr., John Drakakis (Series Editor)

Spatiality has risen to become a key concept in literary and cultural studies, with critical focus on the ‘spatial turn’ presenting a new approach to the traditional literary analyses of time and history. Robert T. Tally Jr. explores differing aspects of the spatial in literary studies today, This clear and engaging study presents readers with a thought provoking and illuminating guide to the literature and criticism of ‘space’.

Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy, Theory, Criticism, Space, Literary Criticism

190 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2012

Reviews

[Uroš Đurković · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ovo je sjajno štivo za sve koje zanima prostorni prekoret u studijama književnosti, književna kartografija, književna geografija i geokritika. Iako je prikladnija kao uvod u oblast(i), nego za one koji su već u materiji, Talijeva knjiga predstavlja pouzdan priručnik, dobro utemeljen u teoriji književnosti, ali i otvoren za dopune. Za razliku od knjige Šejle Houns „Literary Geography” (objavljenu, inače, u istoj ediciji), koja književnu geografiju smatra više geografskom, nego književnom, Tali brani poziciju prostora kao književne kategorije. Houns čak ide toliko daleko da Taliju spočitava nedostatak geografskih znanja što njegove uvide čini, navodno, proizvoljnim. Vrlo je zanimljivo, a možda i logično, da se stručnjaci toliko srodnih, maltene istovetnih perspektiva, međusobno poriču. O problematičnom statusu geopoetike kao termina sam već pisao, a ovde bih mogao da spomenem kako, na primer, Tali upućuje primedbe Bertranu Vestfalu (Bertrand Westphal) u odnosu na to što je Vestfalova geokritika previše geocentrična i to je ne čini otvorenom ka imaginarnim svetovima. Tako Foknerova Joknapatafa ne bi mogla da se proučava kao oblik prostora, iako on to nesumnjivo jeste, bez obzira što je izmaštan. I tako dalje i tako bliže... Biće prilike i da detaljnije pišem o svemu ovome, mislim da može da koristi.

[F · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an arbitrary rating but this is a wonderful book for my thesis so yay let's give it five stars. Go Tally, go.

This is, however, the book that made me go absolutely bonkers because I wanted to copy-paste so many quotes (because yay I bought a kindle copy) but then I realized that publisher's prevent you from copying too much?

Cruel.

[Daughter of Paper and Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will throughly wonder about the composition and meanings of the universe but specific theories and formulas of thinking? I can’t find myself to adhere to them nor to remember them beyond the expected basics.

Now, I think I might become a spatially hellion for a while. It is just such an interesting concept.

Can’t wait to force my sister to read this so we can talk about it.

[Jennifer Barnickel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not written well. It explained interesting concepts, but the language that was used to convey such ideas was disjointed, redundant, and verbose.

[Camilo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good overview of the concept of space, especially as it refers to the spatial turn in literary and cultural studies. Robert T. Tally Jr. summarizes some of the major theories and figures of the spatial turn, with a focus in literary studies and critical theory.

[Tom L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great! Informative, accurate, accessible.

[Catherine Siemann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of space and geography in the literary/theoretical field.

[gegenwind · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read study and overview for anyone interested in spatial theory and literature (or the arts in general). It connects the major theorists on spatiality with a closer examination of cultural developments, considering the historical origins and changes of the perception of space as well as arguing for a fundamental shift in modernity. Tally argues that theorists' new focus on spatiality and spatial strategies in literature are a product of the postmodern condition and the anxiety inherent in our time. Our altered experience of time and space and our overall sense of being lost without orientation (resulting from globalisation, changing hierarchies, changing beliefs etc.) leads us to focus on the spatial for orientation. Tally examines literaty mapping strategies as a way of navigating, understanding and representing our own experiences an psyche.

Tally's study provides a comprehensive and comprehensible overview and analysis which can be used as a basis for further readings or research.

[becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

read this for my senior seminar….the concepts were interesting but the writing is a bit dense. i liked the tangible applications of spatiality like marco polos account and the flâneur concept, it kept me from getting lost in the abstract theory. also tally you got ur lotr info wrong: tolkeins orcs were derived from elven races that were corrupted by morgoth, and are not any type of goblin race. and you only spent the conclusion talking about fantasy/sci-fi/utopian fiction which is a bummer bc space and place theory is really interesting in those genres, at least to me

[Mehtap]

acaba çeviri değil de çevirinin ilk taslağı mı basıldı yanlışlıkla? çeviri maalesef o kadar yetersiz ki, argümanlara odaklanamadım bile. ikinci baskı olacaksa mekan konusuna hakim biri tarafından yeniden çevrilmeli. yoksa mekan, uzay, uzam, yer hepsi birbirine giriyor! (başka kavramların da garip gureba dönüşümleri konusuna girmiyorum bile!)

[Salvador Herrera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clear and straightforward introduction to the ‘spatial turn’ in literary studies. Tally emphasizes the idea of literature as map, with the author serving as cartographer and reader as geographer. Great selection of primary sources from an expert in the field.

[Burçak Bayram · Rating 4 out of 5]

It gives more than an insight about Spatiality. It’s a very well researched reference book. As the concept is “not linear” itself, it was at times overwhelming to keep at it. Yet, Tally maps the book in a way where each spot leads to another hence repeating most of the important terms and names.

[Ebrahim Barzegar · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a space-virgin, I quite enjoyed reading it as it layouts and explains the history of advent of Space-criticism in academic world. So fascinating is the idea of space that I think I am living in a constant un-spacing and re-spacing project!
Go for it!

[Steen Ledet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent introduction to the spatial turn in literary studies.

[joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Dense read packed full of Literary theory concerning spatial relation to literature.

[m · Rating 4 out of 5]

read for school - place and space in lit class

[Arka Basu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive introduction to the subject of spatiality in literary studies.

[Gordon Hilgers · Rating 4 out of 5]

More a survey than an actual assertion of theory, Robert Tally's "Spatiality" maps what he calls "the spatial turn", a sort of change in how theorists in many fields--from politics, economics and social studies to literature, art and all the humanities--are learning to see beyond the temporality most familiar in modernist thinking. Thinking in terms of time, i.e Marcel Proust's "Remembrance of Things Past", modernism eventually gave-way to postmodernism as a predominant means of seeing how the world works, and Tally moves us from Melville's "Moby Dick" through the writings of many British imperialism-stoked novelists such as Conrad, to Ireland's Joyce and many more, most of whom created "cartographies" in terms of narrative, some even describing mythical understandings of cities like Dublin ("Ulysses").

This accounting of how the narrative of spatiality developed and what it may or may not necessarily mean in terms of who we interpret ourselves being or becoming is really relatively simple, especially to those who have studied such complexities as subjective phenomenology to Wittgenstein's ideas of how language itself determines how we interpret various facts and relations and metaphors we use day-to-day, but even to those not nearly as familiar with the development of existentialism, Tally's book will be a welcome addition to poets and novelists, all of whom are trying to understand how, say, genre fits into a general understanding of literature.

Narratives, after all, are maps. Those maps can be concerned with time (of course they are), but more importantly, narratives often mythologize matters of space.

This book is highly recommended for those working with literature or with poetry.

[Emmett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clear and interesting introduction to (mostly) literary ideas about the concepts of space. Tally draws from many fields including theory, psychology, sociology and architecture and shows how these concepts can be applied to thinking about the processes of writing and reading of literature in the area of literary criticism, and how space - both real geographical space and literature that use them as anchoring points, and the places of fantasy - can be studied. Concepts are applied clearly and cleverly, yielding great insight. For those interested to pursue spatiality as a position in criticism at greater depth, he points out possible ways through further readings in the last few pages, and in the middle of the chapters; even when he eschews certain thinkers and their works to discuss others, there are full quotations and name-and-title-dropping as resources. For those who are merely curious or keen to study this area but do not know how/where to start (like I was), this book is a good entry point into a rich and growing network of ideas.