Literature and Transformation

An inquiry into readers' experiences of life-changing encounters with works of literature, the book uncovers the relationships between life-crises, being moved by literature and transformation of the self.

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This book develops a method called intimate reading to investigate how ordinary readers are deeply moved by what they read, and the transformative impact such experiences have on their sense of self. The book presents unique narratives of such experiences and suggests a theory of transformative affective patterns that may form the basis of an affective literary theory.