Browse Hierarchy COM5010: Grand Tours: Nineteenth-Century Adventure Stories and Their Twentieth-Century Afterlives

"This comparative module will introduce students to the immensely popular and influential form of the nineteenth-century adventure story. Through detailed examination of both European and American works, we will consider the ways in which the adventure story fulfills the traditional imperatives of works for young readers (i.e. to both educate and entertain) through its combination of fantasy and realist modes. The extent to which such stories justify their widespread reputation as imperialist and misogynistic will also be considered. We will also study subsequent adaptations (especially film versions) of the texts, which both reflect and contribute to the reception of the original works as well as providing insights into twentieth-century preoccupations and attitudes. Texts will be studied in translation and associate students are welcome."