The:Melodramatic Imagination , Balzac, Henry James, Melodrama, ad the Mode of Excess with » new Prelace Peter Brooks Yale University Press [New Haven and Lovdonoe Re ‘eae Crh 0 rk Ateerened ‘Tate ay erence ‘yt ed cp re Sci 7208 "paras US Copan ase res he Tuer aiden meee th caster ina bie am a st Dry gear 2 Contents Prec 05 Price to the righ etn 1 The Meade Imagination 2 The Ashes Annie 5 The Tes of Motes 4 Madar sn Ronse Desrastion 5 Balu: Represain and Sigication Honey James ante Meo of Comconnes Canlaon: Mehsama,A Cental Poetry wesSophie Brooks Laing this new dition for anather Preface 1995, “Tw Mtzoonasaic buono Toner Vents APEER “This bok wat writen ow of a att 1 cay something I dd’ ue pan Senet that 1 ob pt oo experince a eager wie fre who souk why cman within ek esha Ths exper hee appear become or respons pup Frm represent that we ld obec qt epecte et ound animasing and serch ne ‘Soy Melrane— aw aex gre th 8 agit mode o0em the key to undersading a he cle ArT began neg sag er (Sana oon th rary ak he err eons ips elf nore ar ore Sahe coms of acobereu mde of kngting and representing beg ae shape Wok wih « egeied ordidsined concept ash 2¢ melodams ineialy Ivins ind of arse of lpm. You nd yousel? wang, Does arjone these ths way? Das anyone cre? Mot pain hs ben he ada Clcaery tat | wae ae aloe i thinking aba there of the melon {apna npr erat ada The book gt off tat ut as id rede dat adyfl ei chat meodeara sTe Godse ih ckgus nl wevbabroogr in cr etal and reat meer "Sc ths bo’ picaton a 1 shen ia agent has ad reece fee n erry coisa. A renewed ae fo pop atl aes Has Thought ings coracogie the loam lemen nthe work of sich huss Bales Jes Deo dined eon ea he mle tik wade isan inerapable dimerson of era coaciounes. Bear tbe Confins ferry etn ene nfs he term nda ach ore ‘qendy sed m eemtydiuion of etre an oe Toms a a0" ‘Shy thmegh elfen this ton of eure bathe of comergece ‘Sr eural eve, Melodie boone a ie mad ating Insta, in he wor fs ats as Robt Langs har racote eases fllom the inner of popu enesioment Mont seh of allo me Irate dace tht tbo ey or espe a readers in a ei hat Ierly slot, ond of which I ten ne pty noting Bim ech. todas ns becoming ky eonept th ical aio of par klry Holood fib i she sg tel 9 nn it er ais, pesaps ‘Spel New Geran ccrn-and Th donate Pape vie ise teal and heel a ir a ty of rein wokwi nsec 1995 Te timing of this conergnce of inter wearable pated a ie shih of the argument of ths bork in an ey, "The Mela eign i” tat appeared in Fate Resin 7 In Man, jal othe Bish Fm Instat, Tomas Ease in tn pubs i eminlcny Talke of Sowa and Fary: Ovens othe Faly Melanin" whi pooled = ‘easesiten of Halwood maldrana, nthe Bee Doss iy epi, tod Vincente Mini pd Nios Ra, ang ter atl inthe conte Fecen aage meotmna and ert enema, eset’ ey amy om, hough aes eon bd f mati rst i nay ina oncrpin of melodrama as an expressed, incu esanding ol ‘sai wih cotaia pychonajs frist our atentnn tothe ws of msi ander ean sins in moar sing race, nin or iors a is orgs the Dourgeis resin ofthe il of th hen ‘tury Ehaewe at ne pi ee wes he pear “arama, ‘hugs ra owe fat had ed he thera hain ‘Such comregene interes gees hat by he ely sg ein and sdscaing he concep of melodrama tad akn on ceri ural porta: workers in lae (ough oti eld who analard the mapa Die In whi aturalrms capri xl ad pyc cove ems sen ha the eatery of the mcaeamate needed ova Beas fold tearm other term piece certain eno ses ae esti ces cena o our men In or ellos carci and ecripecenin ind Bion we cai cares oil ete — trig come oman, ad ela, Soomro a mae foxnatheeokors needed we wer ie se aku daa Espsning why melodrama hus prvedso empress nv nce the jes wuld be os ge a dbemana a Prec, anim reper oo mutha wha ed ny he Cochin, Lema le co ‘ince by my oan aguren tht nla isn ra peered ‘heh plsaon aberration oxen soni repent me {olcate and mae vet lei nnd opera the geese aye of being bic we hold wo be af erin prc een tough ne cannot Aerie then fen ay trend se of belt My ths eben te ‘ud retreating tbe etal dennson of mela eency ko ple a oral acu he Ne ye operate domain of va tha the kama trough sighing stems nue psa sedany Aed {red art has heighening a enon fr ir vn sae, a deme ot hypetole exe eee anda goin the pcan ene may be the eso of meadrara witout yea neti inert T nara 1965 i wok sl, oweve conten se! hee melaama hat mater (0 co (Ghee ut atthe damn of ac ne cue coregon 0a vole cantons ad des Ut aro heightened nga besa ‘hn we tour Hner—howrer nl aed cnr on tee Te perhaps pant of our posters nopiscaon ta we dn ite ake radar “arigh”anymore—inaybe to one eer dnc aby wh ac tam ioc detachment. Ye, remashaty a peers we ea dems aes the ‘eeaamiio—fnd ia hoa tne and etal be rou dled by "Eyer ntl be ting, ve whe ts emetat amp ese we rsodernaciecae—it i more hatin of pat spews of mean tha Sea nesment in pretreat. Indeed, poste hs ele a he resale ioe etry melodemas srl be oon tage, pecay in London or einai new wero ech as Sema Tao he mse Son of the epic mld vel Lr Maw a in ad lesion ‘tandormatiom Hower ophiscted we hve bear he pea the or Inkling myth nto nein dene of fm rcoiama, eel wore melodrama rbot eipeod ia Dong St tft Otero lc es not 1 a0 the evn ies Peon Paced yay 3 ay ate al hat makes up ou popu ateaamene—our day gate frehes been nme orl ces the pr th ra coheraeete ste, wih aepsory of exe nares dei ‘See cede aan, och pany The fl of Sts or nso hee become touchsne opp domest nla esau they cosas fh ran oe ain oe Ceeryy. Thy th gn eran eye the er imation fr» Begening of execs a more ering pic ene tree entry oats rn andre Pec pt ny be at adn, en when tt ee he yA OOD bev al irra fons al nh he epee the toningedov, the halFaricola, te accordion sed the dap poset cf the ral dem lion re aye ae {reed evan Sepik f exponen Bye Kis at he onary ty be the plc fre ration of iguana in the gt ti wh te rit reo eames cr er me Perhaps the ment viet contin beeen decussate ‘wry sage an orelte med and he mutes of ly melo es in i. nar 1995 which son neil of ace, ok wage we epee clos Bacau age eae warn otter ten tr pine ede ge ne ugh egies Or named See a gs feed seer af eres Capes dy prs aoe ay ade toe ema, Heh cd wtp bt be ere ina acting dtr ae ‘echng cramp heres Wrath, peal pee poe una fin hh naj ting eats econ et cence teat ar ec Re, eal ote ih met ‘ta Gr prmanteas¥wat ettamed eanciaig Oa he ‘Soest Tren ocsdann tp, Ade Deerys a dn opi ‘Succ we yun wore aed arses Het the dah of en St on gree er canon on Be ao Nore Dare Cae {Ta an tne, nhr ty stl nh ewe hey ed op thes own dong ano es nein Hen and Ley tas at Dory Gael fom fe prone ara ech of a ei nro aninged ec ge te chai hfe Let Soto tierce nd ey pds he apy eine Crt cabrteran pei ete th ty wa hema ote Pech Rear ch es mt of Deve al —perap fom an mate adeonedng ahr ee hexpon of he nape ftv and sepa reper ta selene By eting ter oe Sr ding be Rvs, on saan Brg Tees Cri owe oe me of rg of Ne maga mae ‘toms cing the or al tpn net ony rl tin yn wh pene ocr he er he te ‘oly ys ce Bech Rett ho ofa ing, tcndtn ef pee, Coca ed cay Sn tetovartaonorn apc apres eon, ati ge ine mri fer asa acre wal mening tate i ‘Saco adnan The eres one ethore tat aad Stee rece pte alg te ipa ef tema a tion vdieo he mewn he cnc code he wel ery mes vente New Yar pati of Denice pla ingest tegrated" year rch playwear nem mage tem Hh st peered at fas 9 Be rm One he tment en te onde Peer he ial pcr of Une, tecithapped yc laos mote La Fry to ae nt ra Jaen wh nerds ou ome onan 1995, s comet sch Li Thee inet comm ‘teehee snr hngh va 9 rot nnn ae Pees cap any aes wt ay neve of eee, Teng of cent agen “The ar op de thi needy Jes aed no wets a he ent Heine ptt oa os fon gg inthe ee I Gh hs elisa ap ncn ee asi ihe Cameo om bebo se a con [inser gti oer ig er ye soo fag helo une La chard comma Hee te ‘rans bp ie en, pc. Then Hee opment cle poon hed root dey These ‘hither Hava eh fc tring, bepe dpe cing The mar han emp ove mo tow ke ie tere Laie aa re Tse momen en be es eae ay say hy es we on coef ay rag con stich ep afc Street dy nde Gi dena nae on eae ‘Sin mnt nesg_ ening corde rh Te pc ‘hen te tet men chen sendy ao ‘seat art andimpion Hey mao a tpi for of kr mont Crate ae Vaey Thinnest eho obese an eet pein ae ews hg the meshing ey ie ds pe, Seabee erence Cnr and bie 3opanee Tarihi bs ht thre merge he csr ln anda equiva nck tha paras ido or ‘mislead cet nlotemat em ed acingot oe ‘note ten nlc Nbc Set tthe tin boy fon ey eiem a a emerge incest penny seven ed a es Spies the tron gh ert! eng acento ‘Sth, deer arsed ty Hynes pen pe ‘te Fest te Si Hurt oma eigen ‘acre on ha ty wag oe hop po “Tear de: Gotha sone ha whe idee ‘tecpniy wht come aft toma om alow aa encsac 195, “The seri br i cose typalhs fom Hippos zag Fe a seman’ boty ad ed vee womans byt ch aie a Init an inp hit, try of deen an pane. Sach a pase vil be pple of olead dome melodrama, Ie petit as well Gifts teny encmenr a momento emotional iss and in eee othe Ios which mend ers he body of et epson en. ‘Aomabe nang n Onno Sm comes nos Heart inthe, ‘the way the glsine and masher a eel to Lie, ho he Seth segnc oral tered ta Kad f St ple The Free” [Avie as fm the tie fra lat brace fr Loi, an the ps ee fdas bldg ng, Hens by apa ob a aot pos ae prion ed fm he a id ead hear inate, ike a ae rapped ag, ld me ame Lin pe age fie thon, of te bey haya by fee neni of mesae caer mt the a rely a etal Us the ody ceased Fein ‘ora pers and gre ce thing bt et, mhing lt te place ol repesetatin ‘May thse comory remark on ciate ban stand as wBte aad hon os numberof era-Laws Maly, Tom Ging, Cine ed ‘Did Rent, Chas Musee Sephen Hest, Mii Haase, An Kapha, nds Vans among ethers bine ened Re hin fv me and Iadged me tan arte tt he ingitnes of my sayof melceas I ‘rary cin and her bor hen nel oad he debe the oer wy as wee erry alae hae ch 1 en fn the tore fd cea wrk cared award std, One the eaten cara {eri cur momen intel apd sco ear we are all aie ‘anther tthe etn that we are aber ply Gouna wih ‘bse of recon ed x ese da he ee on call takes rete ‘What we have Ter he ifn spberes where madam as been tue sat he merase mode wo lng eed be ape inthe Ina cfaplogy We Low aba tts ner eet an ate iteuhente hil, bt we he so lear tata eseepomaly ype a ‘cate mc ht em do hing fo oer eres ane ode a Per Inge dane fete conempreary pei at eh Bes iis the malrounes 9 dete ano eee le innate ems tat wanes th wana gee contin pd he tains deman tions of ah etre rm ppaae extranet The sy of meokama hat {ome to he an engagement with an inecape ad etal of our ara ten Preface to the original edition “This ss book about excess, about a mde of heightened desmati tion inextricably bound up withthe modern novels effort signi My argument in the chapters that flow has ite wugce in rmovement—