Potterism: A Tragi-Farcical Tract
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Condition: Good to fair. Jacket: worn/faded, chipping and tears but still structural (refer to image). Page Condition: Good - possible tanning. Markings: possible previous owner inscription.
In the wake of the Great War, twins Johnny and Jane Potter stand at the threshold of a modern world obsessed with "Potterism"—a pervasive, shallow epidemic of mediocrity, sentimentality, and sensationalism championed by their own formidable newspaper magnate father. Armed with little more than their Oxford education and a fervent intellectual snobbery, the siblings form an anti-Potterite circle to wage a witty, though often futile, war against the vapid "spin" and rampant dishonesty infiltrating the public consciousness. What begins as a sharp-tongued crusade against the trivialization of truth quickly spirals into a dark, multi-layered mystery when an unexpected tragedy strikes the heart of the Potter family, forcing these idealistic protagonists to confront the messy reality of their own principles. Rose Macaulay’s Potterism remains a startlingly prescient piece of social satire, dissecting the power of the press and the fragility of truth with a cool, detached, and razor-sharp wit. Through her "tragi-farcical" lens, Macaulay masterfully interrogates the societal tensions of post-war England—ranging from the rise of spiritualism to the constraints of gender and class—while exposing the vanity that underpins even the most noble-sounding dissent. It is a quintessential work of the early 20th century, capturing a fleeting, restless moment in history where traditional values were being rapidly dismantled by the loud, relentless march of modern media and personal ambition.
Author: Rose Macaulay
Format: Hardback
Genre: Literary theory
Condition remarks:
Condition: Good to fair. Jacket: worn/faded, chipping and tears but still structural (refer to image). Page Condition: Good - possible tanning. Markings: possible previous owner inscription.
In the wake of the Great War, twins Johnny and Jane Potter stand at the threshold of a modern world obsessed with "Potterism"—a pervasive, shallow epidemic of mediocrity, sentimentality, and sensationalism championed by their own formidable newspaper magnate father. Armed with little more than their Oxford education and a fervent intellectual snobbery, the siblings form an anti-Potterite circle to wage a witty, though often futile, war against the vapid "spin" and rampant dishonesty infiltrating the public consciousness. What begins as a sharp-tongued crusade against the trivialization of truth quickly spirals into a dark, multi-layered mystery when an unexpected tragedy strikes the heart of the Potter family, forcing these idealistic protagonists to confront the messy reality of their own principles. Rose Macaulay’s Potterism remains a startlingly prescient piece of social satire, dissecting the power of the press and the fragility of truth with a cool, detached, and razor-sharp wit. Through her "tragi-farcical" lens, Macaulay masterfully interrogates the societal tensions of post-war England—ranging from the rise of spiritualism to the constraints of gender and class—while exposing the vanity that underpins even the most noble-sounding dissent. It is a quintessential work of the early 20th century, capturing a fleeting, restless moment in history where traditional values were being rapidly dismantled by the loud, relentless march of modern media and personal ambition.