Adult Novel read in 1970s. Subplot: character (narrator?) is unsuccessfully trying to write a book on a narrow topic, but it evolves into a history of the world/everything.

[Tim]

I read a novel in the 1970s that had as a minor plot point that a key character in it had been trying to write a book on a narrow subject for some time, but each time he wrote he found one thing connected to another, so the book evolved into a history of the world, or a history of everything. As far as I can recall, this wasnt the main plot of the book, it was more just about the personality of this one character-he might have been the narrator? For ages I thought I had recalled it as The Master and Mararita by Bulgakov, but checking that isnt it. Since I was reading it in early 1970s, perhaps it was a 1960s book or just released in early 70s. What book was it and what author?

[Kris]

Tim, that's a good start. You must copy the genre (e.g., adult literary novel) and plot details from your message #1 to the topic header (title), so someone could recognize your book from that description alone. Many members only read the headers.

We have thousands of book requests. We close threads with vague headers.

Click the small "edit" link after the topic header. This only works on the full Desktop website - not the Mobile website or app. (On the Mobile website, there's a "Desktop version" link at the bottom of the page.)

[Kris]

I added subplot details to the topic header/title, so your book might be recognized from that description alone. Many members only read the headers. Feel free to edit it.

What's the genre or tone - e.g., literary fiction, satire, humor?

What's the location?

[Rachel]

It's an older book (1870s) but I don't suppose you are thinking of the character Casaubon in Middlemarch by George Eliot? He was trying to write a neverending book called The Key to all Mythologies.

[Rainbowheart]

Tim appears to have ruled out Middlemarch.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...