This is a bold and original original history of the novel from ancient Greece to the vibrant world of contemporary fiction. In this wide-ranging survey, Thomas Pavel argues that the driving force behind the novel's evolution has been a rivalry between stories that idealize human behavior and those that ridicule and condemn it. Impelled by this conflict, the novel moved from depicting strong souls to sensitive hearts and, finally, to enigmatic psyches. Pavel analyzes more than a hundred novels from Europe, North and South ...
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This is a bold and original original history of the novel from ancient Greece to the vibrant world of contemporary fiction. In this wide-ranging survey, Thomas Pavel argues that the driving force behind the novel's evolution has been a rivalry between stories that idealize human behavior and those that ridicule and condemn it. Impelled by this conflict, the novel moved from depicting strong souls to sensitive hearts and, finally, to enigmatic psyches. Pavel analyzes more than a hundred novels from Europe, North and South America, Asia, and beyond, resulting in a provocative reinterpretation of its development. According to Pavel, the earliest novels were implausible because their characters were either perfect or villainous. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, novelists strove for greater credibility by describing the inner lives of ideal characters in minute detail (as in Samuel Richardson's case), or by closely examining the historical and social environment (as Walter Scott and Balzac did). Yet the earlier rivalry continued: Henry Fielding held the line against idealism, defending the comic tradition with its flawed characters, while Charlotte Bronte and George Eliot offered a rejoinder to social realism with their idealized vision of strong, generous, and sensitive women. In the twentieth century, modernists like Proust and Joyce sought to move beyond this conflict and capture the enigmatic workings of the psyche. Pavel concludes his compelling account by showing how the old tensions persist even within today's pluralism, as popular novels about heroes coexist with a wealth of other kinds of works, from satire to social and psychological realism.
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Add this copy of The Lives of the Novel: a History to cart. $7.57, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Princeton University Press.
Add this copy of The Lives of the Novel: a History to cart. $7.57, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Princeton University Press.
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Good. Shows minimal wear such as frayed or folded edges, minor rips and tears, and/or slightly worn binding. May have stickers and/or contain inscription on title page. No observed missing pages. Former library copy with library markings and/or jacket.
Add this copy of The Lives of the Novel: a History to cart. $7.74, good condition, Sold by Midtown Scholar Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Harrisburg, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Princeton University Press.
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The previous owner's penned name is on the front endpapers. Some pen markings. Torn/worn dj. Good hardcover with some shelfwear; may have previous owner's name inside. Standard-sized.
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Good. Book shows wear from use but remains a usable copy. May include writing highlighting underlining library markings. LISTING USES STOCK PHOTOS AND COVER MAY VARY. Ships via USPS and typically arrives within 10-12 business days.
Add this copy of The Lives of the Novel: a History to cart. $13.89, good condition, Sold by Friends Library Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Eau Claire, WI, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Princeton University Press.
Add this copy of The Lives of the Novel: a History to cart. $15.97, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2015 by Princeton University Press.
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Fair. Size: 6x1x9; EX-LIBRARY copy with usual markings. Dust jacket in protective mylar. First page (ffep) removed. Text unmarked, pages clean & bright, binding tight. Good solid copy. Ships Next Business Day.
Add this copy of The Lives of the Novel: a History to cart. $18.00, very good condition, Sold by Powell's Books Chicago rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Chicago, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Princeton University Press.
