Rose - Literary Cynics

Literary Cynics

Also Available from Bloomsbury

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Edited by Chris Danta, Sue Kossew and Julian Murphet

Literary Cynics

Borges, Beckett, Coetzee

Arthur Rose

Bloomsbury Academic

An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

To my parents
For whom we do the things we do

Contents

In one sense, this project originated out of a series of conversations with Sam Durrant and Brendon Nicholls. That my signposting remains frustratingly obdurate will amuse them greatly. Steven Connor and Richard Brown made helpful comments to a first incarnation and, in so doing, improved subsequent drafts immeasurably. My anonymous reviewers at Bloomsbury honed a rusty manuscript, as did Ben Bollig, Adam Winstanley, Maebh Long, Ryan Topper, Peter Rose, Michael Springer, Luna Dolezal, Phil Horkey, Mike Marais, Thando Njovane and Marco Bernini, each of whom gave of their time and energy to help me tackle issues ranging from Peronism in Argentina to comma placement in referencing material. A single telephone conversation with Robbie Duschinsky helped me to crystallize four years of thinking. Mark Richardson and David Avital were patient and supportive editors at Bloomsbury.

A whole contingent of friends and intellectual comrades helped. In Leeds, Ashraf Riadh Abdullah, Gustavo Carvajal, Alejandra Ortiz, Ed Powell, Adrian Knapp, Henghameh Saroukhani, Katie Elphick, Chris Stone, Ragini Mohite, Emma Trott, Hannah Copley, Stefan Skrimshire, Elizabeth Pender, Kasia Mika, Michael J. Kelly, Claire Lozier, David Sugden, Ruth Swanwick, Jane Taylor, Jane Plastow and Mark Taylor-Batty. In Durham, John Moles, Jane Macnaughton, Corinne Saunders, Sarah McLusky, Rebecca Oxley, Andrew Russell, Marco Bernini, Will Viney, Rick de Villiers and Marc Botha. In South Africa, Simon van Schalkwyk, Jennifer Malec, Donald Powers, Joe Palmer, Paul McNally, Ross Esson, Tim and Jeanne Matthis and others unmentioned. In South Korea, Chull Wang. In Argentina, Fabian, Sarah, Fiona and Lucas Martinez. This not to mention those people in the Beckett, Borges and Coetzee communities, who, in ways small and large, have helped bring this book to print. To those not enumerated, my apologies: such lists necessarily remain incomplete.

My parents, Peter and Celia, bore financial and emotional burdens in helping me see this project to its close. This book is dedicated to them. My sister, brother-in-law and nephews, Sarah, Sean, Sebastian and Sam provided solace and privacy when I needed it (and barrages of guffaws when I didnt). Chris and Denise Mathew provided a home away from home, and Jill and Imogen Ashfield didnt give up on me. For this, and love, I thank them.

Diogenes of Sinope

Jorge Luis Borges

Samuel Beckett

J. M. Coetzee