How to Read a Novel: A User's Guide

John Sutherland

ISBN 10: 0312359888 / ISBN 13: 9780312359881

Published by St. Martin's Press, 2006

About this Item

Do we still know how to read a novel? John Sutherland, Chairman of the 2005 Booker Prize Committee, asks. His answer is an unequivocal, No. But Sutherland has not given up hope. With acerbic wit and intellect, he traces the history of what it used to mean to be well-read and tells readers what it still means today while reminding readers how the delicate charms of fiction can be at once wonderful and inspired and infuriating. On one level this is a book about novels but at a deeper level, this is a book in which one of the most intimate t te- -t tes is described--one in which a reader meets a novel. However, in order for the relationship to take its proper course, a reader must know how to read it Sutherland helps readers: --Pick the right book for them among the cattle call of pre-packaged blurbs and enticing cover art--Recognize a misleading title at first glance--Look beyond the politics of book reviewers--Learn to read the extras--epigraphs, forewords, afterwords--to understand themes only hinted at in the main text--Find real aspects of the author cleverly hidden in the narrative structure--And much more In a book that is as wry and humorous as it is learned and opinionated, John Sutherland tells you everything you always wanted to know about how to read fiction better than you do now (but, were afraid to ask).

Seller Inventory # CIN0312359888G

Bibliographic Details

• Title: How to Read a Novel: A User's Guide
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Publication Date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0312359888
• ISBN 13: 9780312359881
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

"Do we still know how to read a novel?" John Sutherland, Chairman of the 2005 Booker Prize Committee, asks. His disheartened answer is an unequivocal, "No." But Sutherland has not given up hope. With acerbic wit and intellect, he traces the history of what it used to mean to be well-read and tells readers what it still means today. Using this delightful book as a means to an end, he reminds readers how the delicate charms of fiction can be at once wonderful and inspired and infuriating.
            On one level this is a book about novels: how they work, what they're about, what makes them good or bad, and how to talk about them. At a deeper level, this is a book in which one of the most intimate tête-à-têtes is described--one in which a reader meets a novel. Will a great love affair begin? Will the rendezvous end in disappointment? Who can say? In order for the relationship to take its appropriate course all the details must be clearly acknowledged and understood for their complexities: plot, point of view, character, style, pace, first and last sentences, and even beauty.
            Still, Sutherland knows a true understanding of fiction is more than a flirtation with text and style--it is a business. Taking his readers on a trip to the bookshop, he helps them judge a book by its cover based on design and color, wondering aloud what genre might be best, even going so far as to analyze one of the latest American bestsellers to further help the buying reader choose the novel that is right for him or her.
            In a book that is as wry and humorous as it is learned and opinionated, John Sutherland tells you everything you always wanted to know about how to read fiction better than you do now (but, were afraid to ask).

About the Author

John Sutherland is Emeritus Lord Northcliffe Professor of Modern English Literature at University College London and a visiting professor at the California Institute of Technology. He has published and edited numerous books.  He writes a weekly column for The Guardian, and also writes for The New York Times Book Review and London Review of Books. He was the committee chairman for the 2005 Man Booker Prize.