'This is the book on surrealism that we have been waiting for in stylistics and twentieth century literary studies. With full contextualisation of the movement and its affiliated figures, Stockwell offers insight into surrealist writing processes, the composition of surrealist texts, and their literary experience for contemporary readers. Ultimately, Stockwell systematically demonstrates not only that surrealism is characterised by the dissonance of defamiliarisation and immersion, but also that modern stylistic analysis is paramount to unravelling the politics and dream-like texture of the surrealist enterprise.' - Dr Alison Gibbons, Sheffield Hallam University, UK 'A completely fascinating and engaging read: Stockwell combines a rich, in-depth consideration of the 'historical moment' of production with the rigour of stylistic/cognitive poetic observation. The result is to go beyond the mere classification of 'surrealist text' to illuminate surrealist writerly technique and the readerly experience of surreal image.' - Dr Lisa Nahajec, Liverpool Hope University, UK
PART I: THE ORIGINS OF SURREALISM
1. The pre-history of surrealism
2. The biography of surrealism
3. Language in surrealist thought
PART II: WRITING SURREALISM
4. Automaticity
5. Collage
6. Dissonance
PART III: READING SURREALISM
7. Coherence and confusion8. ambient experience
9. Disorientation
PART IV: TAMING SURREALISM
10. Surrealism in the service of the world.