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Dorothy Richardson was a major figure in twentieth-century literature. Her long, thirteen-volume work, Pilgrimage, is a landmark of European modernism. The Oxford Edition of Dorothy Richardson is the first authoritative version of her work. It includes a six-volume edition of Pilgrimage, a volume of her shorter fiction and poetry, a volume of her non-fiction, and three volumes of her collected letters. The edition includes a full scholarly apparatus in a form that is accessible to scholars, students, and the general reader.Pilgrimage (1915-1967) was Richardson's magnum opus. A semi-autobiographical narrative cycle, the first 'chapter-volume', Pointed Roofs, was published in 1915 and the last unfinished part, March Moonlight, in a posthumous collected edition in 1967. It was the first literary work to be described as 'stream of consciousness'--by May Sinclair in 1918--a phrase which came to serve as a description for a whole movement in early twentieth-century fiction.Known and admired by writers throughout the twentieth century, like many women modernists, Richardson had to wait until second wave feminism in the 1970s for proper critical recognition. Since then her reputation has gradually been re-established. The Oxford edition of her work is the culmination of several decades of scholarship and restores her to her rightful place in literary history.Volume IV presents Pilgrimage 1 & 2: Pointed Roofs and Backwater.
The central conflict involves the internal development and social navigation of Miriam Henderson as she transitions into adulthood in early twentieth-century Europe. Miriam seeks independence and self-definition while navigating the rigid expectations of her gender and social class. The narrative follows her experiences as a governess in Germany and her subsequent return to England, where she encounters the limitations of domestic life. The text utilizes a pioneering stream-of-consciousness framework to capture the immediate, unfiltered sensory and intellectual experiences of the protagonist.
Readers and critics frequently highlight Richardson's role as a foundational figure in the development of modernist prose. Discussion often centers on her innovative use of stream-of-consciousness, which predates many of her more famous contemporaries. Scholars emphasize the importance of this edition in restoring her work to the canon after decades of relative obscurity. The pacing is noted for its deliberate, introspective quality, prioritizing the internal life of the character over external plot progression. Many readers find the work essential for understanding the evolution of the twentieth-century novel.
Page Count:
528
Publication Date:
2020-12-06
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0198860269
ISBN-13:
9780198860266
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