University of Michigan-Flint professor Thomas Foster, author of the bestseller 'How to Read Literature Like a Professor,' illuminates the milestones of the 'brief, unstructured, and entirely unusual' history of the novel genre, helping readers understand the narrative fabric of novels and learn to see hidden connections between works by different authors and eras. A true gift for the sophisticated reader!
'The novel's irresistible charm is largely due to its collaborative nature; readers are drawn into the characters' stories, actively participating in the creation of meaning. The reward is pleasures more natural than the inherently artificial genres of drama or film.' The living communication between the author and their audience begins with the first line and continues until the last word, and it is precisely because of this connection that, even after finishing reading, we remember the novel long afterward... We decide whether to agree with the author on what is important; we bring our own concepts and fantasies to the characters and events; we are drawn not just into the plot but into all aspects of the novel; we co-create its meaning with the author. We never part with the book; we keep it alive, even if the author has been gone for centuries. Active, passionate reading is the key to the novel's life, the reward and joy of the reader's life.' (Thomas Foster)