The Failure of the Act: Conceptions of the Law in The Merchant of Venice, Bleak House, Les Miserables, and Richard Weisberg’s Poethics

Authors

Daniel H. Lowenstein, University of California, Los Angeles

Abstract

Richard Weisberg is a leading participant in the academic subfield known as "Law and Literature," which is dedicated to what Weisberg aptly describes as "the delightful task of associating two major human enterprises: establishing justice and telling stories."In his most recent book, Poethics: And Other Strategies of Law and Literature, Weisberg attempts to provide, "more systematically . . . than elsewhere," a "guidebook to Law and Literature theory and practice." Several of the chapters in Poethics were written for other occasions and previously published; accordingly, it is no surprise that Weisberg succeeds more in demonstrating his critical acuity, the breadth of his literary interests, and his graceful writing style than in providing a systematic guide to the field.

Disciplines

Jurisprudence | Law | Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility

Recommended Citation

Daniel H. Lowenstein, The Failure of the Act: Conceptions of the Law in The Merchant of Venice, Bleak House, Les Miserables, and Richard Weisberg’s Poethics, 15 Cardozo L. Rev. 1139 (1994).
Available at: https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/clr/vol15/iss4/12