Covert Hinduism, Overt Secularism. A Postsecular Reading of the Indian English Novelistic Tradition

Authors

Keywords: Postsecularism, Indian Literature, Hinduism, Indian Novel, World Literature, Religion

Synopsis

In this book, the term “postsecular” does not denote a rejection of secularism; rather, it parallels the “post” in “post-modern” or “post-structuralist.” Vescovi argues that secularism has helped Indian fiction to reach an international audience but, at the same time, has forestalled the recognition of Hindu elements covertly woven into the narrative fabric of several modern Indian classics. His close reading is an attempt at tracing traditional elements, such as plot patterns, naming, ethics in otherwise secular narratives, countering the hegemony of rationalistic interpretive paradigms often employed by postcolonial criticism.

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Author Biography

Alessandro Vescovi

teaches English Literature at the Università degli Studi di Milano. His main interests are Victorian novel and Indian writing in English. He is the author of a monograph on the short story as a genre and volume on Amitav Ghosh (Le Lettere 2012), and of several articles on Indian contemporary writers. Lately he has co-edited The Topicality of the Shadow Lines, Turin, 2020, and Amitav Ghosh's Culture Chromosome, Brill 2021. He is part of the board of postcolonial journals and secretary of the Italian Association for the Study of Anglophone Literatures (AISCLI).

Published
January 19, 2024

Details about the available publication format: PDF

PDF
ISBN-13 (15)
979-12-5510-106-2

Details about the available publication format: EPUB

EPUB
ISBN-13 (15)
979-12-5510-107-9

Details about the available publication format: BUY

BUY
ISBN-13 (15)
979-12-5510-105-5
Physical Dimensions