Novel Beginnings: Experiments in Eighteenth-Century English Fiction (Yale Guides to English Literature)

In this study intended for general readers, eminent critic Patricia Meyer Spacks provides a fresh, engaging account of the early history of the English novel. __Novel Beginnings__ departs from the traditional, narrow focus on the development of the realistic novel to emphasize the many kinds of experimentation that marked the genre in the eighteenth century before its conventions were firmly established in the nineteenth. Treating well-known works like __Tom Jones__ and __Tristram Shandy__ in conjunction with less familiar texts such as Sarah Fielding’s __The Cry__ (a kind of hybrid novel and play) and Jane Barker’s __A Patch-Work Screen for the Ladies__ (a novel of adventure replete with sentimental verse and numerous subnarratives), the book evokes the excitement of a multifaceted and unpredictable process of growth and change. Investigating fiction throughout the 1700s, Spacks delineates the individuality of specific texts while suggesting connections among novels. She sketches a wide range of forms and themes, including Providential narratives, psychological thrillers, romans à clef, sentimental parables, political allegories, Gothic romances, and many others. These multiple narrative experiments show the impossibility of thinking of eighteenth-century fiction simply as a precursor to the nineteenth-century novel, Spacks shows. Instead, the vast variety of engagements with the problems of creating fiction demonstrates that literary history—by no means inexorable—might have taken quite a different course. A celebratory history and appreciation of the varied, wildly experimental nature of fiction in eighteenth-century England In this study intended for general readers, eminent critic Patricia Meyer Spacks provides a fresh, engaging account of the early history of the English novel. Novel Beginnings departs from the traditional, narrow focus on the development of the realistic novel to emphasize the many kinds of experimentation that marked the genre in the eighteenth century before its conventions were firmly established in the nineteenth. Treating well-known works like Tom Jones and Tristram Shandy in conjunction with less familiar texts such as Sarah Fieldings The Cry (a kind of hybrid novel and play) and Jane Barkers A Patch-Work Screen for the Ladies (a novel of adventure replete with sentimental verse and numerous subnarratives), the book evokes the excitement of a multifaceted and unpredictable process of growth and change. Investigating fiction throughout the 1700s, Spacks delineates the individuality of specific texts while suggesting connections among novels. She sketches a wide range of forms and themes, including Providential narratives, psychological thrillers, romans clef, sentimental parables, political allegories, Gothic romances, and many others. These multiple narrative experiments show the impossibility of thinking of eighteenth-century fiction simply as a precursor to the nineteenth-century novel, Spacks shows. Instead, the vast variety of engagements with the problems of creating fiction demonstrates that literary historyby no means inexorablemight have taken quite a different course. This fresh account of eighteenth-century English fiction departs from the traditional focus on the realistic novel to emphasise the many kinds of experimentation that marked the genre before the conventions of the novel were firmly established. Treating well-known works like "Tom Jones" and "Tristram Shandy" in conjunction with less familiar texts like "Sarah Fielding's: The Cry" and "Jane Barker's: A Patchwork Screen for the Ladies", this book evokes the excitement of a multifaceted and unpredictable process of growth and change. Investigating fiction throughout the 1700s, Patricia Meyer Spacks delineates the individuality of specific texts while also suggesting connections among novels. She sketches a wide range of forms and themes, including Providential narrative, psychological thriller, political roman a clef, sentimental parable, political allegory, Gothic romance and many others. These multiple narrative experiments show the impossibility of thinking of eighteenth-century fiction simply as a precursor to the nineteenth-century novel, Spacks shows. Instead, the vast variety of engagements with the problems of creating fiction demonstrates that literary history - by no means inexorable - might have taken quite a different course In This Study Intended For General Readers, Eminent Critic Patricia Meyer Spacks Provides A Fresh, Engaging Account Of The Early History Of The English Novel. Novel Beginnings Departs From The Traditional, Narrow Focus On The Development Of The Realistic Novel To Emphasize The Many Kinds Of Experimentation That Marked The Genre In The Eighteenth Century Before Its Conventions Were Firmly Established In The Nineteenth. Treating Well-known Works Like Tom Jones And Tristram Shandy In Conjunction With Less-familiar Texts Such As Sarah Fielding's The Cry (a Kind Of Hybrid Novel And Play) And Jane Barker's A Patch-work Screen For The Ladies (a Novel Of Adventure Replete With Sentimental Verse And Numerous Subnarratives), The Book Evokes The Excitement Of A Multifaceted And Unpredictable Process Of Growth And Change.--jacket. The Excitement Of Beginnings -- Novels Of Adventure -- The Novel Of Development -- Novels Of Consciousness -- The Novel Of Sentiment -- The Novel Of Manners -- Gothic Fiction -- The Political Novel -- Tristram Shandy And The Development Of The Novel. Patricia Meyer Spacks. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 293-297) And Index.

In 1936, twenty-year-old Edward Weismiller became the youngest poet to win the prestigious Yale Series of Younger Poets prize. Today, more than sixty years later, he retains that distinction. Yale University Press here reintroduces Edward Weismiller - now the oldest living Younger Poet - with the publication of his latest book of poetry. Weismiller’s is "a talent that has kept faith with itself and its sources," says W. S. Merwin, current judge of the Younger Poets Series.

In Walking Toward the Sun, youthful lyricism has given way to plainness of speech - even spareness. These poems are honest and unflinching, always striking in their prosody. They will remind some readers of Yeats, for they convey nobility in the face of old age, infirmity, and disappointment. Weismiller sings powerfully about a world of loss, but he is never grim or despairing. The poet in old age remains hopeful, open to possibility, and always aware of beauty in the smallest places.

Contents 7 Acknowledgments 9 1. The Excitement of Beginnings 11 2. Novels of Adventure 38 3. The Novel of Development 69 4. Novels of Consciousness 102 5. The Novel of Sentiment 137 6. The Novel of Manners 170 7. Gothic Fiction 201 8. The Political Novel 232 9. Tristram Shandy and the Development of the Novel 264 Afterword. What Came Next 287 Suggestions for Further Reading 297 Works Cited 303 Index 309 This account of 18th century fiction emphasises the many kinds of experimentation that were taking place in the genre before the conventions of the novel were firmly established. The author sketches a wide range of forms and shows that literary history might have taken a different path