Author(s): Sebastian Faulks

Literature

he British invented the novel, with the publication of @lt;b@gt;Robinson Crusoe@lt;/b@gt; 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.@lt;br@gt;@lt;br@gt;In @lt;b@gt;Faulks on Fiction@lt;/b@gt;, 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.@lt;br@gt;@lt;br@gt;Published to coincide with a major BBC series, @lt;b@gt;Faulks on Fiction@lt;/b@gt; 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.