John Coates
John David Coates (MA Cambridge, PhD Exeter), born 1943 and a member of the staff of Hull University until his retirement, has a particular interest in Edwardian and early twentieth century literature. He is married to the poet Carole Coates.
John Coates's publications, available through Amazon, include
Chesterton and the Edwardian Cultural Crisis (1984) Reviewers' comments “John Coates's stimulating study firmly locates Chesterton's writing in the context of contemporary debate.” Prose Studies “This scholarly study putting Chesterton back within the cultural context which produced his writing is a welcome contribution to the growing literature on him.” Times Higher Education Supplement “The most important study of Chesterton yet to appear.” Seven: An Anglo American Review |
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Combative Styles (1994) (with Bruce Woodcock) “Coates has used to good effect a knowledge not only of Burke's views and of the history to which he refers but also of the classical sources and rhetorical precepts he invokes. The result is a series of readings which are both rounded and cogent.” British Journal of Aesthetics |
The Day's Work: Kipling and the Idea of Sacrifice (1997) “The detailed readings of the various texts are never less than interesting, informed as they are by depth of scholarship.” English Literature in Transition “From the outset of his excellent book John Coates proposes a view of Kipling different from those currently on offer. For a neat demonstration of his thesis Coates delivers a refined and scholarly reading of 'The Mark of the Beast'.” Victorian Studies |
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Social Discontinuity in the Work of Elizabeth Bowen (1998) “In contrast to the many rather general treatments of Elizabeth Bowen…John Coates [on The Death of the Heart ] is valuably specific and detailed. [John Coates on The Heat of the Day ] offers a fine argument for that novels awkward integrity.” Year's Work in English Studies |
Chesterton as Controversialist, Essayist, Novelist and Critic (2002) “Not only does Coates achieve his purpose but in terms of importance, GK Chesterton as Controversialist, Essayist, Novelist and Critic , like Coates' earlier study…represents one of the most important studies of Chesterton to appear.” Seven: An Anglo American Literary Review “This is a fascinating work, written with an elegant simplicity, but profound for all that…The work is the product of a distinguished and discriminating mind, and it is a pleasure to commune with it.” The Chesterton Review “[Coates's] arguments are telling and one comes away from this work, with a sense that Chesterton is indeed central to many of the issues that most concern us…[Coates's] discussion of Chesterton's beliefs and their reflection in his writing is admirable.” Utopian Studies |
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John Coates has also published some sixty papers in various journals, including Shakespeare Survey, Essays in Criticism, The Modern Language Review, Prose Studies, Papers in Language and Literature and Comparative Literature Studies.
Recently he has been working on Walter Pater. Although Coates enjoyed university teaching for many years, he would recommend retirement, combined with some writing, from his own pleasant experience of them both.
Contact John Coates