Faulks on Fiction

More about the book

The British invented the novel, with the publication of <b>Robinson Crusoe</b> in 1719 marking the arrival of a revolutionary and distinctly modern form of art. But it's also true, as Sebastian Faulks argues in this remarkable book, that the novel helped invent the British: for the first time we had stories that reflected the experiences of ordinary people, with characters in which we could find our reality, our understanding and our escape. In <b>Faulks on Fiction</b>, Faulks examines many of these enduring fictional characters from over the centuries -- Heroes from Tom Jones to John Self, Lovers from Mr Darcy to Lady Chatterly, Villains from Fagin to Barbara Covett, and Snobs from Emma Woodhouse to James Bond -- and shows us how they mapped and inspired the British psyche, and continue to do so. Published to coincide with a major BBC series, <b>Faulks on Fiction</b> is an engaging and opinionated look at the psychology of the British through their literature, and a unique social history of Britain from one of our most respected writers.