Literature and Transformation: A Narrative Study of Life-Changing Reading Experiences

It has long remained a tacit assumption in hermeneutics and literary theory that works of imaginative literature have the potential to change the reader’s self.

Literature and Transformation develops a method called Intimate Reading to investigate how ordinary readers are deeply moved by what they read and the transformative impact such experiences have on their sense of self. The book presents unique narratives of such experiences and suggests a theory of transformative affective patterns that may form the basis of an affective literary theory.

‘This highly original and illuminating book is a methodological tour de force offering rich and compelling means to analyse, understand and demonstrate the transformative power of literary reading in its living context. Essential reading for everyone concerned with the place of literature in the world today.’ - Josie Billington, Professor of English Literature, University of Liverpool, UK

‘Thor Magnus Tangeras’s book on life-changing encounters with literature is a groundbreaking work within reading research and the psychology of reading, adding new perspectives and knowledge to our understanding of the reading experience.’ - Ragnar Audunson, Professor, Library and Information Science, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway