- Hardcover: 224 pages
- Publisher: Martin Secker & Warburg Ltd (12 Oct 1992)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0436256711
- ISBN-13: 978-0436256714
- Product Dimensions: 22 x 14.2 x 2.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 719,265 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
The articles which David Lodge wrote for "The Independent on Sunday" for 50 weeks in 1991 and 1992 have been revised and expanded for this book. The art of fiction is considered under a range of headings, such as "The Intrusive Author", "Suspense", "The Epistolary Novel", "Time-shift", "The Sense of Place" and "Symbolism". Each topic is illustrated by a short passage or two taken from classic and modern fiction, extending from Laurence Sterne to J.D. Salinger, from Jane Austen to Fay Weldon, from Charles Dickins to Martin Amis. Lodge takes these passages apart and puts them together again with the expertise of a novelist, critic and teacher. Technical terms, such as interior monologue, metafiction, intertextuality and the unreliable narrator, are explained and their application demonstrated, in the literary-critical equivalent of slow-motion action replays of some of the best writing in the English language. To throw further light on a given topic, the author sometimes refers directly to his own experience of writing fiction, which has twice seen him shortlisted for the Booker Prize.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting and insightful,
This review is from: The Art of Fiction: Illustrated from Classic and Modern Texts (Paperback)
"The Art of Fiction" is divided into 50 chapters, each devoted to a different aspect or theme in fiction (in this case primarily novel-writing). Some of these themes are standard topics: 'Beginning', 'Point of View', 'Introducing a Character', 'Chapters' and 'Ending' for example. Others are more unusual: including 'Suspense', 'Symbolism', 'Epiphany', 'The Telephone' as well as more technical-sounding topics such as 'Aporia' and 'Intertextuality'. Through these themes Lodge explores the construction of the novel and underlines the sheer variety of approaches taken by different writers over the course of time.
Each chapter is drawn from an article in Lodge's own newspaper column, which means that the subject matter is easily accessible and digestible for the casual reader. Lodge's style is easy to read and follow and he occasionally intersperses his analysis with his own anecdotes. This is 'a book to browse in, and dip into', as Lodge himself explains, which assumes very little prior knowledge of the texts concerned. Indeed his subjects are very diverse, ranging from Henry Fielding in the 18th century, and Victorian writers such as Brontė and Dickens, all the way to 20th-century authors including, among many others, George Orwell and Kazuo Ishiguro. However, it is not necessary to have read all - or even any - of these texts, as Lodge begins each chapter with a relevant passage quoted in full to illustrate his point. The goal of "The Art of Fiction" is to enhance the reader's understanding of modern literature, and not explicitly to teach lessons in composition to aspiring authors. Nevertheless, for any writer it is always instructive to dissect those works which have gone before, and this book would therefore be of tremendous use. Everything considered, "The Art of Fiction" is a worthy addition to the bookshelf of anyone with an interest in deconstructing how modern fiction works - either the casual reader or the student. Recommended.
47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An understated and friendly guide,
By ashleyjamescross@hotmail.com (Wales, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Art of Fiction: Illustrated from Classic and Modern Texts (Paperback)
This collection of essays represents an understated and friendly guide. Thorough but accessible, Lodge has written a readable journey into the ways in which texts can be read. Although neither as challenging nor thought-provoking as more academic volumes on 'ways of reading', The Art of Fiction has the brevity and lightness of touch that makes it an excellent starting point for those interested in fiction in all its forms, and for those who want to indulge in the magical variety of classic and contemporary fiction.
52 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fifty steps to understanding literature.,
This review is from: The Art of Fiction: Illustrated from Classic and Modern Texts (Paperback)
As an aspiring novelist I can highly recommend this book. In fifty chapters David Lodge explains pretty much everything you need to know to gain a deeper insight into reading literature. I have read further than this book, such as I.A. Richard's Principles of Literary Criticism and Jonathan Culler's works on literary theory and literary criticism but Lodge's more modest work still has pride of place on my bookshelf next to these other giants.So many critics seem to know the way but are unable to drive. Whether you are a student of literature, an aspiring writer, or simply someone who wishes to better understand what you read then this is a book to start with as it is refreshingly free of pretentiousness.
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