Abstract
This brief paper provides an analysis of the title of Dave Eggers' 2000 memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. Drawing on Gérard Genette’s distinction between rhematic (formal) and thematic titles, the paper argues that the title of Eggers’ memoir is better seen as an aesthetic evaluation of Eggers’ book. From this observation, the paper offers a discussion of how the memoir’s title invites the reader to apply a reading protocol that does not dismiss the book’s emotional aspects as mere bathos.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | The Explicator |
| Volume | 72 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Pages (from-to) | 146-150 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| ISSN | 0014-4940 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 22 May 2014 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Dave Eggers, paratexts, memoir, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius