Book Review: The Routledge Companion to Literature and Economics Edited by Matt Seybold and Michelle Chihara. 2019. Routledge.

Key Takeaways

• 38 scholars bridge literature and economics across centuries
• Highlights economics' drift toward abstract mathematics, neglecting social context
• Argues humanities can revitalize economic analysis and policy
• Critiques behavioural economics as austerity‑friendly nudge tool
• Calls for interdisciplinary reform in economics education

Summary

The Routledge Companion to Literature and Economics, edited by Matt Seybold and Michelle Chihara, assembles 38 essays that map literary representations of economic ideas from medieval texts to the 2008 financial crisis. The volume argues that modern economics has become overly mathematical and detached from its philosophical roots, positioning literary and cultural analysis as a corrective force. Contributors critique the dominance of neoclassical models and behavioural nudges that reinforce austerity, while showcasing how narrative and rhetorical approaches can enrich economic understanding. Ultimately, the book calls for a sustained interdisciplinary dialogue to revitalize economic theory and policy.

Pulse Analysis

The Routledge Companion to Literature and Economics arrives at a moment when the social sciences are grappling with the limits of quantitative orthodoxy. Edited by Seybold and Chihara, the volume curates contributions from literary scholars, cultural historians, and critical economists, spanning topics from Chaucer’s market metaphors to post‑2008 crisis novels. Each essay treats economic concepts as narrative devices, revealing how literary form can expose hidden assumptions in economic theory and illuminate the lived experience of financial systems. This interdisciplinary tapestry offers readers a roadmap for reading economics through a literary lens.

Beyond cataloguing texts, the book mounts a pointed critique of contemporary economics’ turn toward mathematical formalism and behavioural nudges. Reviewers highlight the discipline’s abandonment of its rhetorical and philosophical heritage, arguing that such desocialisation produces policy prescriptions that reinforce austerity and inequality. By juxtaposing Marxist critiques with analyses of behavioural economics’ role in legitimising neoliberal agendas, the volume demonstrates how literary criticism can diagnose the ideological underpinnings of economic models and propose more humane alternatives. The authors contend that reintegrating narrative insight restores agency to subjects traditionally reduced to abstract agents.

The implications for academia and policy are significant. As universities reassess curricula to meet demands for interdisciplinary competence, the Companion provides a template for embedding literary analysis within economics programs, fostering critical thinking that transcends numerical proficiency. Policymakers, too, can benefit from narrative‑driven evaluations that foreground ethical considerations and social impact. In an era where economic forecasts often miss the mark, the book’s call for a humanities‑infused economics promises a more resilient, inclusive framework for understanding and shaping the global economy.