Pastiche

Richard Dyer's Pastiche is a study of the poetics and politics of this widely used, seldom examined term. Writing with his customary wit and style, Dyer argues that while pastiche can be used to describe works which contain montage or collage, it can also be used to describe works which are knowing imitations of previous works. Considering first of all the many things the term is used to refer to, the book then focuses on pastiche as a term to describe imitations that are meant to be understood and appreciated as imitations. This is traced in classic literary pastiche (notably Proust) and texts within texts (the play within the play in Hamlet, the shows within the show Follies), before widening out into a consideration of the relation of pastiche to genre, history, criticism and emotion. There is detailed consideration of a wide range of examples including Madame Bovary, The Nutcracker, the Afro-American Symphony, spaghetti Westerns such as Once Upon a Time in the West, neo-noir and Far From Heaven. Dyer argues for the value of pastiche as a practice that cuts through some of the commonplaces of critical discussion, showing that a work can be critical of something without having to be parodically distant from it, able to acknowledge the history of its own emotional effects without in the process ceasing to be moving. Pastiche is a key concept within film and cultural studies, and Dyer's text is the first full study of the term and its usage. Richard Dyer is Professor of Film Studies at the King's College, University of London. His previous publications include, amongst many, Now You See It (second edition 2003), Only Entertainment (second edition, 2002), The Matter of Images (second edition 2002), The Culture of Queers (2002), Seven (1999), White (1997), Brief Encounter (1993), Stars (1979) and Gays and Film (1977).Dyer, Richard is the author of 'Pastiche ', published 2006 under ISBN 9780415340106 and ISBN 0415340101.