13 Ways of Looking at the Novel

An essential guide for writers and readers alike, here is Smileys great celebration of the novel. As she embarks on an exhilarating tour through one hundred titlesfrom classics such as the thousand-year-oldTale of Genjito recent fiction by Zadie Smith and Alice Munroshe explores the power of the form, looking at its history and variety, its cultural impact, and just how it works its magic. She invites us behind the scenes of novel-writing, sharing her own habits and spilling the secrets of her craft, and offering priceless advice to aspiring authors. Every page infects us anew with the passion for reading that is the governing spirit of this gift to book lovers everywhere.