Novel: An Alternative History: Beginnings to 1600

by Steven Moore

Overview

A comprehensive history—and controversial reappraisal—of the world's most popular and innovative literary form.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781441145475
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	10/27/2011
Pages:	704
Sales rank:	530,767
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.60(h) x 1.80(d)

About the Author

Steven Moore (Ph.D. Rutgers, 1988) is the author of several books and essays on modern literature. From 1988 to 1996 he was managing editor of the Review of Contemporary Fiction/Dalkey Archive Press, and for decades he has reviewed books for a variety of journals and newspapers, principally The Washington Post. He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Novel NovelChapter 1: The Ancient Novel Egyptian Mesopotamian Hebrew Greek Roman ChristianChapter 2: The Medieval Novel Irish Icelandic Byzantine Jewish ArthurianChapter 3: The Renaissance Novel Italian Spanish French EnglishBridge: The Mesoamerican NovelChapter 4: The Eastern Novel Indian Tibetan Arabic PersianChapter 5: The Far Eastern Novel Japanese ChineseBibliographyChronological Index of Novels DiscussedGeneral Index

Editorial Reviews

"Moore's range here is staggering. And the intelligence he brings to bear on his materials is awesome, from the subtlest of insights to the boldest of (seemingly always valid) judgments. Add to this Moore's wit, his lucid Orwellian prose, his ability to make a simple plot summary tingle with excitement, the infectious sense of sheer literary pleasure that bubbles through it all-if this isn't a critical masterpiece in the making, there ain't no such animal." -David Markson, author of Wittgenstein's Mistress
Library Journal

"Steven Moore, a former managing editor of the Review of Contemporary Fiction, has attempted to trace the roots of the modern novel to the first stories told around campfires in Egypt and Mesopotamia. Moore's survey is splendidly comprehensive and shows a true passion for his subject. Ranging from those early ancestors to the classics of Asian fiction, from the love stories of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to the philosophical fables of the Enlightenment, and well into our time, the book displays Moore's impressive knowledge of the world of make-believe. [...] Moore tells his story with erudition and wit, and in doing so restores to the reader of good fiction confidence in the craft. Ultimately, Moore's book is less a genealogical history of the novel than a reader's treasure trove." -- The Washington Post.
ContemporaryLit.About.com

"The Novel: An Alternative History is a breathtaking achievement. Steve Moore isn't just incredibly well read, he's also funny, irreverent, argumentative and sometimes even downright mean. There's nothing dryly academic about his magnificent book--it's as personal as a love affair and just as thrilling. Like Edmund Wilson, Hugh Kenner or Randall Jarrell, Moore writes with real stylish dash, yet backs up what he says with the authority that only comes from vast knowledge. Ancient Greek novels, classics of Asian fiction, medieval romances, Renaissance allegories, Victorian triple-deckers, postmodern experiments--Moore knows them all. For readers, the result isn't just a history of the novel, it's also one of the all-time great literary carnival rides." -- Michael Dirda, author of Classics for Pleasure and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for criticism
The Cambridge Quarterly

From the Publisher

Moore, editor and independent scholar, informs readers that the first "real" novel—written by Xenophon of Athens in the fourth century B.C.E. and entitled Cyropaedia (The Education of Cyrus)—has a reputation for being "uncommonly dull." Moore detests "dull," so he explains that Xenophon was actually "feeling his way to a new form." In this gargantuan volume, Moore's primary goal is to provide a complete history of the novel from its beginnings to the year 1600, giving special attention to "innovative, unconventional" works, while his secondary goal is to respond to literary critics who attack writers for following "the dictates of art rather than those of entertainment." Moore identifies and discusses novels from the ancient, medieval, Renaissance, Eastern, and Far Eastern worlds. He writes authoritatively and enthusiastically about "the various forms and permutations of the novel" and seeks to "demonstrate the genre's age and infinite variety." His observations include the following: Giovanni Boccaccio's Elegy of Lady Fiammetta is his most daring literary experiment, The Perfect Generosity of Prince Vessantara qualifies as the first Buddhist novel, and Luo Guanzhong's Three Kingdoms deserves to be ranked among the greatest novels ever written. VERDICT Moore is serious in his effort to produce a useful work for the general reader. Recommended especially for literature students as well as curious laypersons seeking information and entertainment.—Kathryn R. Bartelt, Univ. of Evansville Libs., IN

Library Journal