The Writing Game

by David Lodge

David Lodge’s first full-length play examines that curious fixture in the writing game where the amateurs meet the professionals – on a course in creative writing. Maude, author of nine bestsellers, and Simon, with one sensational success to his name, are veterans of this particular Leo, a campus-based American novelist astounded by the dilettante approach of the English, is the odd man out.The idea is to put the students under pressure, but in the converted barn that houses the tutors, professional and sexual tensions, past slights and current rivalries rapidly build to a fierce head of steam. Out of these pressures, David Lodge distils a sharply observed comedy of the problems and preoccupations of the writer as the professionals, striving to explain to enthusiastic beginners how to do it, are forced to confront an altogether trickier why on earth do they themselves write in the first place?Delicately probing, nimbly parodic, uncomfortably on target, Lodge’s incisive study of writers at work and at odds will bring the pleasure of recognition to all readers of fiction – and to most of those in the game.

Genres: Drama, Plays

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

David John Lodge was an English author and critic. A literature professor at the University of Birmingham until 1987, some of his novels satirise academic life, notably the "Campus Trilogy" – Changing Places: A Tale of Two Campuses (1975), Small World: An Academic Romance (1984) and Nice Work (1988). The second two were shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Another theme is Roman Catholicism, beginning from his first published novel The Picturegoers (1960). Lodge also wrote television screenplays and three stage plays. After retiring, he continued to publish literary criticism. His edition of Twentieth Century Literary Criticism (1972) includes essays on 20th-century writers such as T.S. Eliot. In 1992, he published The Art of Fiction, a collection of essays on literary techniques with illustrative examples from great authors, such as Point of View (Henry James), The Stream of Consciousness (Virginia Woolf) and Interior Monologue (James Joyce), beginning with Beginning and ending with Ending.

Reviews

[Chris Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typically clever metafictional fun from Lodge. The usual cast of characters, the libidinous bull-in-a-China-shop American, the snarky and coolly distant Brit. Most memorable quote is not from Lodge though:

“What draws the reader to the novel is the hope of warming his shivering life with a death he reads about.” Walter Benjamin.

[Kauzar Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading Lodge is like reading an English version of H. Murakami. The only thing I liked was the remarks about writing and literature.

[ortiz ☽ · Rating 1 out of 5]

el mayor ejemplo de "escrito por un hombre" que he visto jamás. La historia de un escritor sexista con sentido de superioridad que tiene un bloqueo

[Aims · Rating 3 out of 5]

entertaining but um wow the sexual references are up the wazoo

[Ina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aristotle was very hot on reversal and discovery. But they've rather lost their cutting edge, now that every TV commercial has them.

[Norma · Rating 4 out of 5]

( Format : Audiobook )
" Has anyone seen Penny Sewell? "

Always a fan of the past David Lodge novels based around academia and it's perks, I really enjoyed this fun play set in a crumbling converted seventeenth century farmhouse seeking to.bring together writers and those who want to write. As expected, the writers (all three) are in their own ways blocked, the aspirants are no good. Only one, a school.teacher named Penny, is, perhaps, different...

Performed before a live audience, the play was excellent - with one exception: Penny's accent, presumably trying to be English - or was it Irish or some other regional county in Britain? - was atrocious, bad enough to cause this listener's discomfort and remove a star from the ratin.

[Bookend McGee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh, D.L. is just so sexist - every book or play he writes - the off-putting sexism just seeps through. These gross, old guys in his books (alter egos of D.L himself) somehow always get the woman. He's always writing these wish-fulfillment stuff and none of it rings true. And the way he writes sex - double-ugh - so much gross stuff about fish. Does he really think it's sexy to talk about tongues being eels or being fingered like a hooked fish? So gross. He should win the bad sex writing award.

Anyway, what is always good and fun in a David Lodge book are the academic witticisms and just reading about clever writers in their element. I enjoyed this play for that reason.

[Abdul Alhazred · Rating 2 out of 5]

Three writers hosting a retreat for amateurs and writers alike clash over their different takes on writing, and on life. It's a well acted performance bordering on comedy over drama, but never really draws you in as there's little in the way of stakes. The insights on the creative process and the stereotypical archetypes of authors and their foibles have been done to death, as this kind of self-examination is perhaps the most stereotypical trait of writers - a realization befitting the fourth wall breaking and self-referential ending to the play.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun take on the classic English comedy.

[Rocío · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

[Aida Rot · Rating 5 out of 5]

JUST INCREDIBLE. DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR AND READ IT

[Roger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not nearly as clever as it seems to think it is.

[Gerhard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The setting of this play is a converted 17th century farmhouse and barn in the Dorset countryside, used as a venue for presenting short creative writing courses. On this particular course, the tutors are successful novelist Maude Lockett and the distinguished American author Leo Rafkin (in the absence of the originally invited author.) Leo is dubious about the course in general and also dismissive of Maude's literary accomplishments. This does not prevent him from pursuing her sexually.

When the visiting writer Simon St Clair appears, the stage (pun intended) is set for rivalry and confrontation - as Leo is still smarting from a less-than-flattering interview that Simon was responsible for. And very much in the thick of things is Maude, who makes no secret of her amorous interest in both these men.

In the course of the training, would-be writer Penny Sewell is soon cured of her literary aspirations by the questionable actions and petty ego trips of the very people she once wished to emulate.

Novelist David Lodge takes a keen-edged satirical blade to the people who choose to involve themselves with the "Writing Game". His characters are believable and his dialogue is laced with witty and apt observations. I will recommend this to anyone remotely interested in the world of writers and books.

[E. Ritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny. As a writer, I had much fun reading.

[Theut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bellerrimo, ma del resto, cosa aspettarsi da un simile genio?