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Paul Fussell

The Great War and Modern Memory

"The Great War and Modern Memory" by Paul Fussell is a seminal work of literary criticism that explores the impact of World War I on the literature and cultural memory of the twentieth century. First published in 1975, the book remains a classic in the field, offering a profound and insightful analysis of the ways in which the war shaped the literary imagination of its time. Fussell's central argument is that the experience of the Great War was so traumatic and transformative that it fundamentally altered the way writers and artists approached questions of language, meaning, and memory. Through a series of close readings of canonical texts by writers such as Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, and Robert Graves, Fussell demonstrates how the war's horrors and absurdities were reflected in the literature of the period, and how this literature in turn helped to shape popular perceptions of the war and its aftermath. One of the book's key contributions is its exploration of the concept of "modern memory" - the idea that the war created a new kind of collective memory, one that was characterized by irony, disillusionment, and a sense of the arbitrary and absurd. Fussell argues that this modern memory was not simply a reflection of the war's events, but a complex and multifaceted response to them, one that was shaped by a wide range of cultural, social, and political factors. "The Great War and Modern Memory" is not only a work of literary criticism, but also a work of history, philosophy, and cultural analysis. Fussell's writing is erudite and engaging, and his arguments are grounded in a deep knowledge of both the literature of the period and the historical context in which it was produced. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in the literature of World War I, the cultural history of the twentieth century, or the ways in which war and memory intersect and inform one another...