Title
The Decline Of The Novel
Delivery time: 8-12 business days (International)
The Novel Has Lost Its Purpose, Joseph Bottum Argues In This Fascinating New Look At The History Of Fiction. We Have Not Transcended Our Need For What Novels Provide, But We Have Grown To Distrust The Culture That Allowed Novels To Flourish. For Almost Three Hundred Years, Bottum Writes, The Novel Was A Major Art Form, Perhaps The Major Art Form, Of The Modern Worldthe Device By Which, More Than Any Other, We Tried To Explain Ourselves To Ourselves. But Now We No Longer Read Novels The Way We Used To.In A Historical Tour De Forcethe Kind Of Sweeping Analysis Almost Lost To Contemporary Literary Criticismbottum Traces The Emergence Of The Novel From The Modern Religious Crisis Of The Individual Soul And The Atomized Self. In Chapters On Such Figures As Sir Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, And Thomas Mann, He Examines The Enormous Ambitions Once Possessed By Novels And Finds In These Older Works A Rebuke Of Our Current Failure Of Nerve.We Walk With Our Heads Down, Bottum Writes. Without A Sense Of The Old Goals And Reasonsa Sense Of The Good Achieved, Understood As Progressall That Remains Are The Crimes The Culture Committed In The Past To Get Where It Is Now. Uncompensated By Achievement, Unexplained By Purpose, These Unameliorated Sins Must Now Seem Overwhelming: The Very Definition Of A Failed Culture. In Readings Of Everything From Genre Fiction To Childrens Books, Bottum Finds A Lack Of Faith In The Ability Of Art To Respond To The Deep Problems Of Existence. The Decline Of The Novels Prestige Reflects And Confirms A Genuine Cultural Crisis, He Writes.Linking The Novel To Its Religious Origins, Bottum Describes The Urgent Search For Meaning In The New Conditions Of The Modern Age: If The Natural World Is Imagined By Modernity As Empty Of Purpose, Then The Hunt For Natures Importance Is Supernatural, By Definition. The Novel Became A Fundamental Device By Which Culture Pursued The Supernaturalfacilitated By Modernitys Confidence In Science And Cultural Progress. Losing That Confidence, Bottum Says, We Lost The Purpose Of The Art: The Novel Didnt Fail Us. We Failed The Novel.Told In Fastpaced, Wideranging Prose, Bottums The Decline Of The Novel Is A Succinct Critique Of Classical And Contemporary Fiction, Providing Guidelines For Navigating The Vast Genre. This Book Is A Mustread For Those Who Hunger For Grand Accounts Of Literature, Students Of Literary Form, Critics Of Contemporary Art, And General Readers Who Wish To Learn, Finally, What We All Used To Know: The Deep Moral Purpose Of Reading Novels.
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Shipping & Returns
Shipping
We ship your order within 2–3 business days for USA deliveries and 5–8 business days for international shipments. Once your package has been dispatched from our warehouse, you'll receive an email confirmation with a tracking number, allowing you to track the status of your delivery.
Returns
To facilitate a smooth return process, a Return Authorization (RA) Number is required for all returns. Returns without a valid RA number will be declined and may incur additional fees. You can request an RA number within 15 days of the original delivery date. For more details, please refer to our Return & Refund Policy page.
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Warranty
We provide a 2-year limited warranty, from the date of purchase for all our products.
If you believe you have received a defective product, or are experiencing any problems with your product, please contact us.
This warranty strictly does not cover damages that arose from negligence, misuse, wear and tear, or not in accordance with product instructions (dropping the product, etc.).
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What is 'The Decline of the Novel' about? A: The book explores the history of the novel and argues that while the importance of novels has not diminished, societal distrust in the culture surrounding them has grown. It analyzes the evolution of the novel as an art form and its connection to cultural and religious themes.
- Q: Who is the author of 'The Decline of the Novel'? A: The author is Joseph Bottum, who provides a critical examination of both classical and contemporary fiction.
- Q: What are the key themes discussed in the book? A: Key themes include the historical significance of the novel, the cultural crisis affecting literature today, the decline in the prestige of novels, and the search for meaning in modernity.
- Q: How many pages does 'The Decline of the Novel' have? A: The book contains 150 pages, making it a concise read on its subject matter.
- Q: What is the binding type of this book? A: The book is available in hardcover binding, which is durable and suitable for long-term use.
- Q: When was 'The Decline of the Novel' published? A: The book was published on December 2, 2019.
- Q: What is the condition of the book? A: The book is brand new, ensuring that you receive it in perfect condition.
- Q: Is 'The Decline of the Novel' suitable for academic study? A: Yes, this book is suitable for students of literary form and critics of contemporary art, as it provides insightful critiques and historical context.
- Q: What makes this book a must-read? A: It offers a grand account of literature and a deep moral purpose of reading novels, making it valuable for readers interested in understanding the role and significance of fiction.
- Q: Are there any notable authors discussed in the book? A: Yes, Bottum discusses notable authors such as Sir Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, and Thomas Mann, exploring their contributions to the novel as an art form.