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The Art of Fiction: Illustrated from Classic and Modern Texts
 
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The Art of Fiction: Illustrated from Classic and Modern Texts [Illustrated] (Paperback)

by David Lodge (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
RRP: £8.99
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Customers buy this book with The Creative Writing Coursebook: Forty Authors Share Advice and Exercises for Fiction and Poetry by Paul Magrs

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Product Description

Product Description
‘The Art of Fiction’ is essential, thoroughly entertaining reading for writers, students and anyone who wants to understand how literature works. The articles by David Lodge, which first appeared in the Independent on Sunday, are expanded here and consider the subject under a wide range of headings such as ‘The Intrusive Author’, ‘Suspense’ and ‘Magic Realism’. Styles and techniques are illustrated in each case by passages 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, Lodge also demonstrates the richness and variety of British and American fiction.

About the Author
David Lodge has written many bestselling novels, including THINKS and NICE WORK. His books have sold well over a million copies in Penguin. Formerly Professor of English at Birmingham University, he now writes full-time. He continues to live in Birmingham.

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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars An understated and friendly guide, 20 Feb 2001
By ashleyjamescross@hotmail.com (Wales, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
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.
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40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fifty steps to understanding literature., 14 Jun 2003
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.
With Lodge this is not a problem as he is both a critically acclaimed author and a respected academic. As a result he is able to offer an insight into literature from within and without. The only criticism I have, and it is a very small one, is that he only comments on English and American literature because he specialises in these fields of literature. Something he admits to in the introduction. But this is largely unimportant considering the wealth of English and American literature.

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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30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Useful and interesting guide to fiction, 21 Jul 2002
By A Customer
This is one of the best introductions to understanding fiction - particularly the novel - that I've read. It's particularly suitable for someone without any background in the arts. It's divided into 50 short chapters, each beginning with a short extract that provides the basis for discussion for what follows. It covers topics such as division into chapters, symbolism, voice, and just about everything you ever needed to know. It is clearly written without any of the pretension and unnecessary difficulty that often dogs the area. Highly recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book from the perfect tour guide!
This book originated in the early 1990's when David Lodge was invited by the Independent on Sunday to contribute a series of weekly articles in which he chose a literary topic... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Graham S

5.0 out of 5 stars A quick read for plenty of knowledge
I borrowed this from school, which was using it as part of a course (I'm not sure what course).
I took me 5 days to read the whole thing, because I had little time on my... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Noémie

5.0 out of 5 stars Get it? Got it. GOOD!
This is a brilliant book. Elegantly written and erudite without ever being boring. I love it. You can read it like a novel, almost, from beginning to end without losing your way,... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Christine McCourt

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and enjoyable read
I found this book a very interesting and enjoyable read. The author discusses literary fiction under a number of themes and he usually has a page of fiction taken form the work... Read more
Published 7 months ago by PhilosopherKing

1.0 out of 5 stars Horrible
The book might be cheap but it isn't worth the amount of money asked. I thought I would get an idea how to write a novel, just some insight and advise, and instead I get nothing... Read more
Published 7 months ago by TV Fan

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable for the novelist
Terms are bandied around for different forms of novel writing, and you dismiss them as 'jargon', or perhaps 'gobbledegook', and move on. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Michael J. Hunt

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and insightful
"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). Read more
Published on 9 Jul 2007 by J. Aitcheson

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and insightful
"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). Read more
Published on 22 Jun 2007 by J. Aitcheson

5.0 out of 5 stars Modest and magisterial
This must surely be one of the most astute crossover books ever: originally conceived as a series of newspaper articles, these fifty chapters make the sometimes forbidding and... Read more
Published on 24 Sep 2006 by jfp2006

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but inconclusive
This book is a series of newspaper articles, and it shows. There is a great deal in here that casts light on topics such as Stream of Consciousness, Magic Realism,... Read more
Published on 17 May 2006 by Reptile

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