This thesis examines all Dutch editions of Louis Couperus’ De stille kracht to discern trends or developments in the paratextual elements of these editions. Paratext is a concept coined by French...Show moreThis thesis examines all Dutch editions of Louis Couperus’ De stille kracht to discern trends or developments in the paratextual elements of these editions. Paratext is a concept coined by French literary theorist Gérard Genette. Instead of focussing only on the Genettian textual paratexts this thesis also examines the influence of (cover) illustrations as paratextual elements. De stille kracht was published in 1900, and as this thesis was written in 2015, it thus examines 115 years of De stille kracht publication history. Every chapter covers a few decades, thus presenting the reader with a historical narrative of the novel’s developments through time. The thesis therefore is a ‘biography’ of a book. The most important developments are the canonisation of De stille kracht, especially through the implementation of fore- and afterwords in later editions. The later editions also became part of ‘classic book series’, indicating canonisation of this literary work. A constant trend is the focus of the paratextual elements on the atmosphere and themes of the novel, instead of on the plot. In the end this thesis argues for the importance of Genette’s paratext for book historic and literary research and has shown how widely different one particular text can be presented to a reader.Show less
