This book takes its point of departure in recent psychological findings which suggest that reading fiction cultivates empathy, including Theory of Mind. Scott draws on literary theory and close readings to argue that engagement with fictional stories also teaches us to resist uncritical forms of empathy and reminds us of the limitations of our ability to understand other people. The book treats figures of the stranger in Balzac's La Fille aux yeux d'or, Stendhal's Le Rouge et le Noir and Sand's Indiana as emblematic of the strangeness of narrative fiction, which both draws us in and keeps us at a distance.

About the Author
Maria C. Scott, Senior Lecturer, University of Eeter.


Book Information
ISBN 9781474463041
Author Maria C. Scott
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Edinburgh University Press
Publisher Edinburgh University Press