The Novel in English in Antarctica to 1950

• Main Author: Leane, Elizabeth
• Format: Book
• Language: unknown
• Published: Oxford University Press 2018
• Subjects: Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199609932.003.0012

This chapter focuses on English-language novels in Antarctica. In contrast to the other regions discussed in this volume, the Antarctic as a recognizable place appeared in literature only when the novel as a form was entirely established—when, indeed, modernists were becoming impatient with the limits of its conventions. Moreover, in contrast to other regions, the Antarctic had no Indigenous population, and thus no native myths, legends, or stories. The continent was ‘known’ to novelists only through the accounts of others: exploration narratives, memoirs, and diaries. While it is easy to assume that the ‘Antarctic novel’ prior to 1950 is a rare occurrence, there are actually scores of examples. Instead of tracing a chronological lineage of the Antarctic novel, the chapter follows generic and thematic patterns, focusing on particularly representative or prominent titles rather than attempting a comprehensive account.