The Transformation Of The English Novel 1890-1930

THE RECENT PUBLICATION OF THE AMENDED TEXT OF JAMES Joyce's classic epic novel, Gabler's Ulysses: A Critical and Synoptic Edition, rocked the literary establishment and permanently altered all previous interpretations of the work. Reading Joyce's Ulysses presents the first book-length critical study of the novel to take full account of Gabler's text. In this powerful and original study, Schwarz provides an indispensable reader's guide to Ulysses that creates a dialogue between the recent critical theory of poststructuralism and more traditional methods of interpretation while giving a lucid reading of the text. Now that the trade edition of Gabler's Ulysses has been published, Schwarz's study will serve as an invaluable complement.

"The Transformation of the English Novel, 1890-1930" is a provocative exploration of a crucial period in the development of the English novel, integrating critical theory, historical background and sophisticated close reading. Divided into two major sections, the first shows how historical and contextual material is essential for developing powerful readings. Thus the first part challenges such New Critical tenets as 'exit author' and the 'biographical fallacy' and discusses how the author becomes a formal presence in the text. The second section is theoretical and speaks of the transformation in the way that we read and think about authors, readers, characters and form in the light of recent theory, offering an alternative to the deconstructive and Marxist trends in literary studies.