Description |
168, pages : illustrations ; 24 cm |
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text txt rdacontent |
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unmediated n rdamedia |
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volume nc rdacarrier |
Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 150-159) and index. |
Contents |
The telltale figure -- Zero reason, infinite need -- The mathematics of pandaemonium -- Jamesian geometry -- Borges: "Algebra and fire" -- "Ten minutes for seven letters": Beloved. |
Summary |
This study approaches the use of mathematics in fiction in an entirely new way, as a potent instrument of language. Following Wittgenstein's description of mathematical constructs as a component of ordinary language, Fisher shows how number, geometric figuration, algebraic coding, and transcendent abstractions have been made to function as practical narrative tools. Far from rehearsing the various paradigms of numerology, whether Pythagorean, Elizabethan, or Cabalistic, this book explores the tactical deployment of mathematical objects as shaping and framing agents. It reveals how mathematical objects may be subordinated to the storyteller's art. |
Subject |
Numbers in literature.
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Symbolism of numbers in literature.
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Mathematics in literature.
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Literature -- History and criticism.
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Literature. (OCoLC)fst00999953
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Mathematics in literature. (OCoLC)fst01012331
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Numbers in literature. (OCoLC)fst01896127
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Symbolism of numbers in literature. (OCoLC)fst01140801
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Genre/Form |
Criticism, interpretation, etc. (OCoLC)fst01411635
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ISBN |
083863740X (alk. paper) |
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9780838637401 (alk. paper) |
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