The Nineteenth-Century Novel: A Critical Reader

by Stephen Regan (Editor)

The Nineteenth-Century A Critical Reader provides a comprehensive selection of contemporary and modern essays on the most important novels of the period. By bringing together a range of material written across two centuries, it offers an insight into the changing reception of realist fiction and a discussion of how complex debates about the meaning and function of realism informed and shaped the kind of fiction that was written in the nineteenth century. The novels discussed Northanger Abbey , Jane Eyre , Dombey and Son , Middlemarch , Far From the Madding Crowd , Germinal , Madame Bovary, The Woman in White , The Portrait of a Lady , The Awakening , Dracula , Heart of Darkness .

Genres: Nonfiction, Literary Criticism, Literature, 19th Century

592 pages, Paperback

First published March 19, 2001

Reviews

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say? It does what it says on the tin. Perfect if you're studying the 19th century novel, or the history of realist fiction. Much of the book consists of contemporary essays from the period, so this is invaluable. Heavygoing, though, so best to dip in and out as needed rather than go through from start to finish.

[Tania Greenwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tough, tough reading for my final OU module. Written by academics, this is an interesting book for anyone wanting to delve deeply into the analysis of nineteenth-century texts both by contemporary authors such as James and Eliot, and more recent critics. I have to admit, that many of my course colleagues wanted to burn this after they'd finished their studies!

[Dawn Kurtagich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good collection of critical essays on some of the best literature in the world.

[Richard Cubitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb collection of essays, some by the great novelists of this period themselves.

[Tim Rideout · Rating 5 out of 5]

Invaluable collection of essays. Regan's introductions to each essay are uniformly excellent.

[Karen Sumner]

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