In this book, Yasmin Solomonescu makes a dynamic and integrative contribution to the rapidly expanding field of Thelwall Studies and adds a vital new voice to contemporary critical conversations about nineteenth-century aesthetics, politics, and sciences of mind. ... Solomonescu's energetic, accessible style reflects the 'practical fluency' that Thelwall practised and promoted. ... this book marks a vigorous start to Solomonescu's career, breathing new life into both Thelwall's oeuvre and his contribution to Romantic literature. (Judith Thompson, Review 19, nbol-19.org, May, 2016)
John Thelwall and the Materialist Imagination covers the range of Thelwall's writing, including the novel Daughter of Adoption and the manuscript of poetry recently discovered in Derby. It includes an impressive account of the import of Thelwall's elocutionary writings to his other work. The presentation of John Thelwall as the 'Champion of Materialism' for his period is the key contribution of this monograph. Not only does it develop recent interest in Thelwall in his own right, but it provides a new perspective on the understanding of his role in the period's materialist thinking. In this regard, Solomonescu's work will speak to medical historians and historians of science as well as scholars of the Romantic period. Jon Mee, University of York, UK