Cards of Identity
Encyclopedia
Cards Of Identity is a 1955 novel by Nigel Dennis
. A scathing satire of psychology, identity theory and class prejudice, the novel is centred around the 'Identity Club', a group of men calling themselves psychologists, who meet annually to present 'case histories' promoting their chosen theory of identity, which are, in fact, fictional representations of a character in line with their theoretical biases, rather than analyses of real patients. Surrounding this plot is an equally compelling story of the local townspeople who are brainwashed into being servants for the convention, and end the book with a show-stopping non-canonical Shakespearian play. The novel has gained more attention in Britain recently as the debate over a British identity card bill rages.
said 'One of the funniest, most intelligent and far-reaching pieces of satire.', Hilary Corke
writing in The Listener said 'It is the cleverest novel, and the most intellectually formidable, that I have read for many years. It is also one of the funniest.' W.H. Auden said 'I have read no novel published in the last fifteen years with greater pleasure and admiration.'
Nigel Dennis
Nigel Forbes Dennis was an English writer, critic, playwright and magazine editor.-Early life:Born at his grandfather's house in Surrey, England, Dennis was the son of Lt.-Col...
. A scathing satire of psychology, identity theory and class prejudice, the novel is centred around the 'Identity Club', a group of men calling themselves psychologists, who meet annually to present 'case histories' promoting their chosen theory of identity, which are, in fact, fictional representations of a character in line with their theoretical biases, rather than analyses of real patients. Surrounding this plot is an equally compelling story of the local townspeople who are brainwashed into being servants for the convention, and end the book with a show-stopping non-canonical Shakespearian play. The novel has gained more attention in Britain recently as the debate over a British identity card bill rages.
Reaction
The novel was highly praised when it first came out. The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
said 'One of the funniest, most intelligent and far-reaching pieces of satire.', Hilary Corke
Hilary Corke
Hilary Topham Corke was a writer, composer and mineralogist...
writing in The Listener said 'It is the cleverest novel, and the most intellectually formidable, that I have read for many years. It is also one of the funniest.' W.H. Auden said 'I have read no novel published in the last fifteen years with greater pleasure and admiration.'