Novels and Novelists: A Guide to the World of Fiction

by Seymour Smith and Martin Seymour-Smith

Book Overview

Over 350 illustrations and photographs, including many in full color, as well as two-color diagrams and drawings; a comprehensive and penetrating account of prose fiction, from earliest times to 1980;... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312579667
• ISBN13: 9780312579661
• Release Date: January 1982
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 3.05 lbs.

Customer Reviews

essential

Nearly everything that needs to be said about this book can be found on the back cover. Here goes: Novels And Novelists is 'a comprehensive and penetrating account of the history of prose fiction, from earliest times to the present day'. It contains 'an A-to-Z guide to over 1,300 novelists: past and present', with 'over 3,000 novels recommended and evaluated'. This is done by breaking down a novel - or short story collection - into four criteria: readability, characterisation, plot and overall literary merit. Each criteria is then rated from zero to five stars. For instance, the entry on Hans Christian Andersen lists three book titles. The Improvisatore scores two stars for readability, one star for characterisation, three stars for plot and two stars for literary merit. The novel O.T. scores three stars for readability, three stars for characterisation, three stars for plot and two stars for literary merit. Fairy Tales scores five stars in all four categories - denoting a timeless masterpiece - a 'classic'. In addition, the book discusses 'the novel and the cinema: a study of screen adaptation'. 'Novelists at work: plus a detailed analysis of the work methods of several novelists of widely different kinds'. 'The novel and the book trade: the commercial influences on fiction'. 'Approaches to fiction: a readable guide to critical ideas'. 'The novel and illustration: a history'. This wonderful book - I first read it in 1992 - opened up world literature to me. Though I have always dipped regularly into classic fiction and would have read a central work such as Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen eventually, other novels such as Lilith by George MacDonald and Job by Joseph Roth I might have missed out on. Some of the 'great' books I have disliked intensely (I am thinking in particular of Sons And Lovers by D.H. Lawrence) - but making my own evaluations of novels is part of the fun! It has led me to try many different genres. Any true lover of fiction will snap this book up on sight. This review is written for those who have never seen or heard of it, to encourage them to get hold of a copy - or get their local library to buy one! I cannot recommend Novels And Novelists highly enough. It is essential.