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Penny Dreadful from Neo-Victorian to Neo-Baroque

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Deviance in Neo-Victorian Culture

Abstract

The analytical framework of the fourth chapter consists in an association between Baroque (and neo-Baroque) and neo-Victorianism. Like Baroque poetics, neo-Victorian culture is focused on the notion of ‘transgression’, ‘excess’ and ‘deviance’ from norms and limits. This is particularly important in a recent TV series that centres upon various declinations of ‘sexual deviance’: Penny Dreadful (2014–2016). This series offers lavishly visual proofs of the value of ‘excess’ and of ‘non linear’ representation in neo-Victorian poetics. Penny Dreadful may be ascribed to the genre of neo-Victorianism because it basically rewrites Victorian canonical texts such as Dracula, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and cheap sensational fiction; at the same time, this TV show addresses cogent contemporary questions, reflecting on the issues of transgression and normalcy in our culture and society.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Cassino, Italy

    Saverio Tomaiuolo

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  1. Saverio Tomaiuolo
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Tomaiuolo, S. (2018). Penny Dreadful from Neo-Victorian to Neo-Baroque. In: Deviance in Neo-Victorian Culture. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96950-3_5

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