Routledge The English Novel in History 1700-1780

The English Novel in History 1700-1780 provides students with specific contexts for the early novel in response to a new understanding of eigtheenth-century Britain. It traces the social and moral representations of the period in extended readings of the major novelists, as well as evaluatiing the importance of lesser known ones. John Richetti traces the shifting subject matter of the novel, discussing: * scandalous and amatory fictions * criminal narratives of the early part of the century * the more disciplined, realistic, and didactic strain that appears in the 1740's and 1750's * novels promoting new ideas about the nature of domestic life * novels by women and how they relate to the shift of subject matter This original and useful book revises traditional literary history by considering novels from those years in the context of the transformation of Britain in the eighteenth century. Review "Richetti's book offers a well-researched and detailed study of the major trends in 18th-century narrative... This volume will serve graduate students and researchers concerned with... the role of literature as both shaper and reflector of the historical context." -"Choice, September 1999 "This is a good book on an important topic. John Richetti is a sensitive reader of eighteenth-century texts, and each of the chapters has something valuable to offer.." -George Hagerty," CLIO, February, 2000