The Marketing-Character in Fiction: Len Deighton's Close up (1972) as a Sociological Description of Post-War Hollywood and the Process of Americanisation
Restricted accessOtherFirst published online December, 2006
The Marketing-Character in Fiction: Len Deighton's Close up (1972) as a Sociological Description of Post-War Hollywood and the Process of Americanisation
Len Deighton's book, although not well known among sociologists, provided as early as 1972 a profound and shrewd analysis not only of the American movie industry, its milieux and culture of deception and their influence on old Europe, but also of the more general mechanisms of a radical marketisation of the self. The novel can, thus, contribute to a better understanding of America's hegemonic position in Europe, insofar as it results in far-reaching Americanisation. The legionary barracks of the Romans, the French Court of Louis XIV and the English Public School have found their legitimate successor in the social fabric of Hollywood and the American spirit of commercial entertainment.
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