J.B. Priestley: A Traveller in Time by R.K. Kulkarni - 2011

Atlantic Publishers & Distributors (P) Ltd., 2011. Hardcover. New. Often misjudged as a mere entertainer, Priestley has not received a just and due recognition as a serious Time-writer endowed with a poetic vision, from literary critics, and consequently, hardly any comprehensive critical work, putting all his Time plays and Time novels into focus, has appeared so far. The present book fills this gap and makes a thorough critical study of all his Time works with a view to bringing out his solid and enduring contribution to British drama and fiction. This book highlights, in a felicitous manner, the unique place of J.B. Priestley as a Time-writer: he stands distinguished as the only major writer who treats the Time theme in a non-Bergsonian (psychological) way and in two major forms of literature, viz. fiction and drama. It focuses vividly and effectively on how Priestley’s Time works give a peep into the Great Unknown. Priestley considers Time philosophically, whereas most other writers treat Time psychologically. The book encapsulates the Priestleyan Time philosophy which is life’s philosophy itself as it is expressed imaginatively and creatively. It is established, in no uncertain terms, how Priestley’s message to mankind is clear and loud: the tick-tocking clock Time does not and cannot snuff out man’s life because of the continuance of consciousness into the next order of Time and that man’s life on earth is worth living and wonderful. The book shows how Priestley’s writings hold out a hope for mankind by solving the Sphinx question hurled at him by Time. It is a delightful and thrilling experience for the reader to go through the adventurous world of Priestley’s philosophy embodied in his fiction and plays as discussed in this book. The book shall be useful to students and teachers of English literature, and researchers in this field. Contents : Foreword; Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction; 2. Priestley and His Age; 3. Early Phase: Time Signals; 4. Middle Phase: Multi-vision of Time; 5. Final Phase: Wisdom’s Realm; 6. Priestley’s Technique of Writing; 7. Priestley’s Achievements; Bibliography; Index Printed Pages: 284.