The English Novel

by Raymond Williams

Raymond Williams begins his brilliantly perceptive study of the English novel in the 1840s, a period of rapid social change brought on by the Industrial Revolution, the struggle for democratic reform, and the growth of cities and towns. Unsettling, indeed critical, for individuals and communities alike, this process of change prompted the novelists of the time to explore new forms of writing. The genius of Dickens, the powerful originality of the Bront? sisters, the passionate vision of George Eliot – all gave new force and humanity to the English novel, whose roots in the evolving community Raymond Williams proceeds to trace through the work of Hardy, Gissing and Wells, and on to D.H. Lawrence.

Genres: Nonfiction, Literary Criticism, Criticism, British Literature, History, Literature, Victorian

196 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Raymond Henry Williams was a Welsh academic, novelist, and critic. He taught for many years and the Professor of Drama at the University of Cambridge. He was an influential figure within the New Left and in wider culture. His writings on politics, culture, the mass media and literature are a significant contribution to the Marxist critique of culture and the arts. His work laid the foundations for the field of cultural studies and the cultural materialist approach. Among his many books are Culture and Society, Culture and Materialism, Politics and Letters, Problems in Materialism and Culture, and several novels.

Reviews

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rather insightful look at the novel and how it changed between Dickens’ and D.H. Lawrence’s writings.

[Eric Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice, thin treatment of the English novel in history. One might not agree with Williams's marxism, but he was a novelist himself and a sensitive and insightful reader. Nothing at all like the simplistic interpretations that gave marxist readings a bad name.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

slightly stodgy but good intro to the authors as I remember.

[Branka · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice book!