Aspects of the Novel

Forester's wit and lively, informed originality have made this study of the novel a classic. Avoiding the chronological approach of what he calls "pseudoscholarship," Forster freely examines elements that all English-language novels have in common: story, people, plot, fantasy, prophecy, pattern and rhythm. The reader comes away with a deeper appreciation for the novel in general, also for Forster, himself a distinguished author (HOWARDS END and A PASSAGE TO INDIA).

"We discover, under [Forster's] casual but acute guidance, many things about the literary magic which transmute the dull stuff of He-said and She-said into characters, stories, and intimations of truth." (Harper's Magazine)