The Art of Fiction: Illustrated from Classic and Modern Texts (1992)

The articles with which David Lodge entertained and delighted readers of the Independent on Sunday and The Washington Post are now revised, expanded, and collected together in book form. The art of fiction is considered under a wide range of headings, such as the Intrusive Author, Suspense, the Epistolary Novel, Time-shift, Magic Realism and Symbolism, and each topic is illustrated by a passage or two taken from classic or modern fiction. Drawing on writers as diverse as Henry James and Martin Amis, Jane Austen and Fay Weldon and Henry Fielding and James Joyce, David Lodge makes accesible to the general reader the richness and variety of British and American fiction. Technical terms, such as Interior Monologue, Metafiction, Intertextuality and the Unreliable Narrator, are lucidly explained and their applications demonstrated. Bringing to criticism the verve and humour of his own novels, David Lodge has provided essential reading for students of literature, aspiring writers, and anyone who wishes to understand how literature works. Beginning (Jane Austen, Ford Madox Ford) -- The intrusive author (George Eliot, E.M. Forster) -- Suspense (Thomas Hardy) -- Teenage Skaz (J.D. Salinger) -- The epistolary novel (Michael Frayn) -- Point of view (Henry James) -- Mystery (Rudyard Kipling) -- Names (David Lodge, Paul Auster) -- The stream of consciousness (Virginia Woolf) -- Interior monologue (James Joyce) -- Defamiliarization (Charlotte Bronte) -- The sense of place (Martin Amis) -- Lists (F. Scott Fitzgerald) -- Introducing a character (Christopher Isherwood) -- Surprise (William Makepeace Thackeray) -- Time-shift (Muriel Spark) -- The reader in the text (Laurence Sterne) -- Weather (Jane Austen, Charles Dickens) -- Repetition (Ernest Hemingway) -- Fancy prose (Vladimir Nabokov) -- Intertextuality (Joseph Conrad) -- The experimental novel (Henry Green) -- The comic novel (Kingsley Amis) -- Magic realism (Milan Kundera) -- Staying on the surface (Malcolm Bradbury) -- Showing and telling (Henry Fielding) -- Telling in different voices (Fay Weldon) -- A sense of the past (John Fowles). Imagining the future (George Orwell) -- Symbolism (D.H. Lawrence) -- Allegory (Samuel Butler) -- Epiphany (John Updike) -- Coincidence (Henry James) -- The unreliable narrator (Kazuo Ishiguro) -- The exotic (Graham Greene) -- Chapters etc. (Tobias Smollett, Laurence Sterne, Sil Walter Scott, George Eliot, James Joyce) -- The telephone (Evelyn Waugh) -- Surrealism (Leonora Carringotn) -- Irony (Arnold Bennett) -- Motivation (George Eliot) -- Duration (Donald Barthelme) -- Implication (William Cooper) -- The title (George Gissing) -- Ideas (Anthony Burgess) -- The non-fiction novel (Thomas Carlyle) -- Metafiction (John Barth) -- The uncanny (Edgar Allen Poe) -- Narrative structure (Leonard Michaels) -- Aporia (Samuel Beckett) -- Ending (Jane Austen, William Golding) The Articles With Which David Lodge Entertained And Enlightened Readers Of The Independent On Sunday And The Washington Post Are Now Revised, Expanded And Collected Together In Book Form. The Art Of Fiction Is Considered Under A Wide Range Of Headings, Such As The Intrusive Author, Suspense, The Epistolary Novel, Time-shift, Magical Realism And Symbolism, And Each Topic Is Illustrated By A Passage Or Two Taken From Classic Or Modern Fiction. Drawing On Writers As Diverse As Henry James And Martin Amis, Jane Austen And Fay Weldon And Henry Fielding And James Joyce, David Lodge Makes Accessible To The General Reader The Richness And Variety Of British And American Fiction. Technical Terms, Such As Interior Monologue, Metafiction, Intertextuality And The Unreliable Narrator, Are Lucidly Explained And Their Application Demonstrated. Bringing To Criticism The Verve And Humour Of His Own Novels, David Lodge Has Provided Essential Reading For Students Of Literature, Aspirant Writers, And Anyone Who Wishes To Understand How Literature Works.--publisher's Website. Beginning (jane Austen, Ford Madox Ford) -- The Intrusive Author (george Eliot, E.m. Forster) -- Suspense (thomas Hardy) -- Teenage Skaz (j.d. Salinger) -- The Epistolary Novel (michael Frayn) -- Point Of View (henry James) -- Mystery (rudyard Kipling) -- Names (david Lodge, Paul Auster) -- The Stream Of Consciousness (virginia Woolf) -- Interior Monologue (james Joyce) -- Defamiliarization (charlotte Bronte)̈ -- The Sense Of Place (martin Amis) -- Lists (f. Scott Fitzgerald) -- Introducing A Character (christopher Isherwood) -- Surprise (william Makepeace Thackeray) -- Time-shift (muriel Spark) -- The Reader In The Text (laurence Sterne) -- Weather (jane Austin, Charles Dickens) -- Repetition (ernest Hemingway) -- Fancy Prose (vladimir Nabokov) -- Intertextuality (joseph Conrad) -- The Experimental Novel (henry Green) -- The Comic Novel (kingsley Amis) -- Magic Realism (milan Kundera) -- Staying On The Surface (malcolm Bradbury) -- Showing And Telling (henry Fielding) -- Telling In Different Voices (fay Weldon) -- A Sense Of The Past (john Fowles) -- Imagining The Future (george Orwell) -- Symbolism (d.h. Lawrence) -- Allegory (samuel Butler) -- Epiphany (john Updike) -- Coincidence (henry James) -- The Unreliable Narrator (kazuo Ishiguro) -- The Exotic (graham Greene) -- Chapters Etc. (tobias Smollett, Laurence Sterne, Sir Walter Scott, George Eliot, James Joyce) -- The Telephone (evelyn Waugh) -- Surrealism (leonora Carrington) -- Irony (arnold Bennett) -- Motivation (george Eliot) -- Duration (donald Barthelme) -- Implication (william Cooper) -- The Title (george Gissing) -- Ideas (anthony Burgess) -- The Non-fiction Novel (thomas Carlyle) -- Metafiction (john Barth) -- The Uncanny (edgar Allan Poe) -- Narrative Structure (leonard Michaels) -- Aporia (samuel Beckett) -- Ending (jane Austin, William Golding). David Lodge. Originally Published In The Independent On Sunday, 1991-2. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover......Page 0 Copyright page......Page 8 Contents......Page 11 Preface......Page 13 1 Beginning (Jane Austen, Ford Madox Ford)......Page 19 2 The Intrusive Author (George Eliot, E. M. Forster)......Page 25 3 Suspense (Thomas Hardy)......Page 29 4 Teenage Skaz (J. D. Salinger)......Page 33 5 The Epistolary Novel (Michael Frayn)......Page 37 6 Point of View (Henry James)......Page 41 7 Mystery (Rudyard Kipling)......Page 46 8 Names (David Lodge, Paul Auster)......Page 51 9 The Stream of Consciousness (Virginia Woolf)......Page 57 10 Interior Monologue (James Joyce)......Page 62 11 Defamiliarization (Charlotte Brontë)......Page 68 12 The Sense of Place (Martin Amis)......Page 72 13 Lists (F. Scott Fitzgerald)......Page 77 14 Introducing a Character (Christopher Isherwood)......Page 82 15 Surprise (William Makepeace Thackeray)......Page 86 16 Time-Shift (Muriel Spark)......Page 90 17 The Reader in the Text (Laurence Sterne)......Page 96 18 Weather (Jane Austen, Charles Dickens)......Page 100 19 Repetition (Ernest Hemingway)......Page 105 20 Fancy Prose (Vladimir Nabokov)......Page 110 21 Intertextuality (Joseph Conrad)......Page 114 22 The Experimental Novel (Henry Green)......Page 120 23 The Comic Novel (Kingsley Amis)......Page 125 24 Magic Realism (Milan Kundera)......Page 129 25 Staying on the Surface (Malcolm Bradbury)......Page 133 26 Showing and Telling (Henry Fielding)......Page 137 27 Telling in Different Voices (Fay Weldon)......Page 141 28 A Sense of the Past (John Fowles)......Page 146 29 Imagining the Future (George Orwell)......Page 150 30 Symbolism (D. H. Lawrence)......Page 154 31 Allegory (Samuel Butler)......Page 158 32 Epiphany (John Updike)......Page 162 33 Coincidence (Henry James)......Page 165 34 The Unreliable Narrator (Kazuo Ishiguro)......Page 170 35 The Exotic (Graham Greene)......Page 174 36 Chapters etc. (Tobias Smollett, Laurence Sterne, Sir Walter Scott, George Eliot, James Joyce)......Page 178 37 The Telephone (Evelyn Waugh)......Page 185 38 Surrealism (Leonora Carrington)......Page 190 39 Irony (Arnold Bennett)......Page 194 40 Motivation (George Eliot)......Page 198 41 Duration (Donald Barthelme)......Page 202 42 Implication (William Cooper)......Page 205 43 The Title (George Gissing)......Page 209 44 Ideas (Anthony Burgess)......Page 213 45 The Non-Fiction Novel (Thomas Carlyle)......Page 217 46 Metafiction (John Barth)......Page 222 47 The Uncanny (Edgar Allan Poe)......Page 227 48 Narrative Structure (Leonard Michaels)......Page 231 49 Aporia (Samuel Beckett)......Page 235 50 Ending (Jane Austen, William Golding)......Page 239 Bibliography of primary sources......Page 247 Index of Names......Page 253 Literature Cover -1 Copyright page 8 Contents 11 Preface 13 1 Beginning (Jane Austen, Ford Madox Ford) 19 2 The Intrusive Author (George Eliot, E. M. Forster) 25 3 Suspense (Thomas Hardy) 29 4 Teenage Skaz (J. D. Salinger) 33 5 The Epistolary Novel (Michael Frayn) 37 6 Point of View (Henry James) 41 7 Mystery (Rudyard Kipling) 46 8 Names (David Lodge, Paul Auster) 51 9 The Stream of Consciousness (Virginia Woolf) 57 10 Interior Monologue (James Joyce) 62 11 Defamiliarization (Charlotte Brontë) 68 12 The Sense of Place (Martin Amis) 72 13 Lists (F. Scott Fitzgerald) 77 14 Introducing a Character (Christopher Isherwood) 82 15 Surprise (William Makepeace Thackeray) 86 16 Time-Shift (Muriel Spark) 90 17 The Reader in the Text (Laurence Sterne) 96 18 Weather (Jane Austen, Charles Dickens) 100 19 Repetition (Ernest Hemingway) 105 20 Fancy Prose (Vladimir Nabokov) 110 21 Intertextuality (Joseph Conrad) 114 22 The Experimental Novel (Henry Green) 120 23 The Comic Novel (Kingsley Amis) 125 24 Magic Realism (Milan Kundera) 129 25 Staying on the Surface (Malcolm Bradbury) 133 26 Showing and Telling (Henry Fielding) 137 27 Telling in Different Voices (Fay Weldon) 141 28 A Sense of the Past (John Fowles) 146 29 Imagining the Future (George Orwell) 150 30 Symbolism (D. H. Lawrence) 154 31 Allegory (Samuel Butler) 158 32 Epiphany (John Updike) 162 33 Coincidence (Henry James) 165 34 The Unreliable Narrator (Kazuo Ishiguro) 170 35 The Exotic (Graham Greene) 174 36 Chapters etc. (Tobias Smollett, Laurence Sterne, Sir Walter Scott, George Eliot, James Joyce) 178 37 The Telephone (Evelyn Waugh) 185 38 Surrealism (Leonora Carrington) 190 39 Irony (Arnold Bennett) 194 40 Motivation (George Eliot) 198 41 Duration (Donald Barthelme) 202 42 Implication (William Cooper) 205 43 The Title (George Gissing) 209 44 Ideas (Anthony Burgess) 213 45 The Non-Fiction Novel (Thomas Carlyle) 217 46 Metafiction (John Barth) 222 47 The Uncanny (Edgar Allan Poe) 227 48 Narrative Structure (Leonard Michaels) 231 49 Aporia (Samuel Beckett) 235 50 Ending (Jane Austen, William Golding) 239 Bibliography of primary sources 247 Index of Names 253 literature;,literary,criticism;,fiction;,writing;,technique literature,literary criticism,fiction,writing,technique Features various articles considering the art of fiction under a range of headings such as 'The Intrusive Author', 'Suspense', and 'Magic Realism'. This book illustrates several styles and techniques by passages from classic or modern fiction. It is suitable for writers, students and those who want to understand how literature works. Even Thetis, dipping her mortal boy In Styx, dreaming of armoring him Against both worlds, gripping her joy In fatal fingers, allowed the dim Danger of her handhold on his heel.