End of empire and the English novel since 1945

This first book-length study explores the history of postwar England during the end of empire through a reading of novels which appeared at the time, moving from George Orwell and William Golding to Penelope Lively, Alan Hollinghurst and Ian McEwan. Particular genres are also discussed, including the family saga, travel writing, detective fiction and popular romances. All included reflect on the predicament of an England which no longer lies at the centre of imperial power, arriving at a fascinating diversity of conclusions about the meaning and consequences of the end of empire and the priveleged location of the novel for discussing what decolonization meant for the domestic English population of the metropole. The book is written in an easy style, unburdened by large sections of abstract reflection. It endeavours to bring alive in a new way the traditions of the English novel. This First Book-length Study Explores The History Of Post-war England During The End Of Empire Through A Reading Of Novels Which Appeared At That Time, Moving From George Orwell And William Golding To Penelope Lively, Alan Hollinghurst And Ian Mcewan. Particular Genres Are Also Discussed, Including The Family Saga, Travel Writing, Detective Fiction And Popular Romances. All Included Reflect On The Predicament Of An England Which No Longer Lies At The Centre Of Imperial Power, Arriving At A Fascinating Diversity Of Conclusions About The Meaning And Consequences Of The End Of Empire. Some Explicitly Address The Empire And Its Demise; Others Do So In A More Muted Form. Gilmour And Schwarz Link Together The Historical Question Of The End Of The British Empire With The Literary Issue Of The Place Of The English Novel In The Post-war Years, For The First Time Addressing The Literary Responses And The Privileged Location Of The Novel For Discussing What Decolonisation Meant For The Domestic English Population Of The Metropole. Rather Than Emphasizing The 'provincial' Properties, Emphasis Is Given To The Curious Echoes And Displacements Which Operate Inside The English Postwar Novel During The Years Of Decolonization. This Will Interest Scholars And General Readers Concerned With The Fate Of The English Novel And The Domestic Impact Of Decolonisation, And Is An Important Inclusion To The Expanding Historical Canon Which Deals With The End Of Empire.--publisher Description. Introduction: End Of Empire And The English Novel / Bill Schwarz -- The Road To Airstrip One: Anglo-american Attitudes In The English Fiction Of Mid-century / Patrick Parrinder -- Josephine Tey And Her Descendents: Conservative Modernity And The Female Crime Novel / Cora Kaplan -- Colonial Fiction For Liberal Readers: John Masters And The Savage Family Saga / Richard Steadman-jones -- The Entropy Of Englishness: Reading Empire's Absence In The Novels Of William Golding / Rachel Gilmour -- The Empire Of Romance: Love In A Postcolonial Climate / Deborah Philips -- Passage From Kinjanja To Pimlico: William Boyd's Comedy Of Imperial Decline / Michael L. Ross -- Unlearning Empire: Penelope Lively's Moon Tiger / Huw Marsh -- 'i Am Not The British Isles On Two Legs': Travel Fiction And Travelling Fiction From D.h. Lawrence To Tim Parks / Suzanne Hobson -- Queer Histories And Postcolonial Intimacies In Alan Hollinghurst's The Line Of Beauty / Sarah Brophy -- The Return Of The Native: Pat Barker, David Peace And The Regional Novel After Empire / James Procter -- Saturday's Enlightenment / David Alderson -- Afterword: The English Novel And The World / Elleke Boehmer. Edited By Rachael Gilmour And Bill Schwarz. Includes Bibliographical References. END OF EMPIRE and the English novel since 1945 1 Half Title Page 2 Title Page 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Acknowledgements 8 Contributors 9 Introduction: End of empire and the English novel: Bill Schwarz 14 1. The road to Airstrip One: Anglo-American attitudes in the English fiction of mid-century: Patrick Parrinder 51 2. Josephine Tey and her descendants: conservative modernity and the female crime novel: Cora Kaplan 66 3. Colonial fiction for liberal readers: John Masters and the Savage family saga: Richard Steadman-Jones 87 4. The entropy of Englishness: reading empire’s absence in the novels of William Golding: Rachael Gilmour 105 5. The empire of romance: love in a postcolonial climate: Deborah Philips 127 6. Passage from Kinjanja to Pimlico: William Boyd’s comedy of imperial decline: Michael L. Ross 147 7. Unlearning empire: Penelope Lively’s Moon Tiger: Huw Marsh 165 8. ‘I am not the British Isles on two legs’: travel fiction and travelling fiction from D.H. Lawrence to Tim Parks: Suzanne Hobson 179 9. Queer histories and postcolonial intimacies in Alan Hollinghurst’s The Line of Beauty: Sarah Brophy 197 10. The return of the native: Pat Barker, David Peace and the regional novel after empire: James Procter 216 11. Saturday’s Enlightenment: David Alderson 231 Afterword: The English novel and the world: Elleke Boehmer 251 Available in paperback for the first time, this first book-length study explores the history of postwar England during the end of empire through a reading of novels which appeared at the time, moving from George Orwell and William Golding to Penelope Lively, Alan Hollinghurst and Ian McEwan. Particular genres are also discussed, including the family saga, travel writing, detective fiction and popular romances. All included reflect on the predicament of an England which no longer lies at the centre of imperial power, arriving at a fascinating diversity of conclusions about the meaning and consequences of the end of empire and the privileged location of the novel for discussing what decolonization meant for the domestic English population of the metropole. The book is written in an easy style, unburdened by large sections of abstract reflection. It endeavours to bring alive in a new way the traditions of the English novel. First book-length critical work devoted to the impact of the end of empire and traces of imperial memory in mainstream English Literature since the Second World War. Authors studied include Josephine Tey, William Golding, Penelope Lively, David Peace and Ian McEwan. Represents the best of current scholarship. -- .