A History of the Novel in Britain
$54.60
- Hardcover
704 pages
- Release Date
1 December 2026
Summary
The story of the novel in Britain is a good story. It begins in the eighteenth century, when people began to read in ever greater numbers, seeking words that helped explain their hopes and desires. A new kind of literature was needed for this growing market of readers, one that reflected as many different lives in its pages as there were people to buy them, that could change with the times and do something new: something novel.
In this illuminating new history of both an art and an in…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780241558140 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 024155814X |
| Author: | Philip Hensher |
| Publisher: | Penguin Books Ltd |
| Imprint: | Pelican |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 704 |
| Release Date: | 1 December 2026 |
| Weight: | 752g |
| Dimensions: | 50mm x 147mm x 223mm |
| Series: | Pelican Books |
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Critics Review
With the closure of English literature departments in some British universities, and the rise of AI, there can be no better time for Hensher’s magisterial defence of the novel… His taste is impeccable… One of the joys of this history is Hensher’s refreshingly honest opinions. He does not mince his words… Exemplary and witty history which makes you want to re-read so many classics and discover so many lost gems – Paula Byrne * The Times *
Not only a masterful account of fiction since 1719, when Daniel Defoe set Robinson Crusoe down on his desert island, but … itself a wonderful read… 600 pages of deep pleasure – Kathryn Hughes
A masterpiece of criticism * Guardian *
Philip Hensher
Philip Hensher is the prizewinning author of twelve novels, and the editor of The Penguin Book of the British Short Story (in two volumes) and of The Penguin Book of the Contemporary British Short Story. He is Professor of Creative Writing at Bath Spa University.
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