First published 2014
Deborah Roberts examines how British writers and performers transformed classical antiquity from the 1800s through the 1900s. She analyzes novels, poetry, theater, and radio broadcasts that reimagined ancient epics and tragedies for modern audiences. Roberts explores children's literature shaped by classical themes and investigates how memories of childhood connect to ancient stories. She dedicates substantial attention to Spartacus as a figure who inspired works across multiple genres. The book moves beyond printed texts to examine theatrical performances and radio dramas, highlighting radio's significant cultural influence from the 1920s to 1960s. Roberts demonstrates how post-colonial perspectives reshaped classical reception and how performance strategies evolved over time. Her approach balances broad genre diversity with focused geographic and temporal boundaries, revealing patterns in how Britain processed its classical inheritance during a period of dramatic social change.
Genres: adaptations, 20th-century, british-literature, 19th-century, ancient, academic
Vibes: academic, literary, thought-provoking
Tropes: academic-focus, genre-diversity, historical-transformation
Setting: Britain
Period: 1800s-1900s
166 pages · Kindle Edition · Bloomsbury Academic