The British Novel:Morgan at Biro

Jan 10 - intros
Jan 12 - Intro
Over weekend, read JPY to p. 100, "I come back to my three men."

Think of JPY as an 18th century disaster movie, with zombies. Defoe passed off the Journal as a first-person historical account (Based on true events!) rather than a fiction written 50 years after the events it narrates. Given that he has to stay close to events, for fear of the ruse being spotted, how does he do it? And how would this ruse go down with Oprah?

Recommended

Zimmerman, "H.F.'s Meditations," pp 285 - 295.
Richetti, "Epilogue," pp. 295 - 301.

Week 2 - 3: Journal of the Plague Year

Jan 17 - opening discussions, verisimilitude, time
Jan 19 - Moderator: Eric Binkert
Over weekend, finish JPY

Jan 24 - questions, techniques
Jan 26 - Moderator: Paul Smith
Over the weekend, start TS Vols I - III (p 175)

Weeks 4 - 6: Tristram Shandy

From the Preface: a book about the arbitrary and unexplored assumption about fiction. We are dominated by The Story, and fail to notice and value any reality that does not coincide with our preconceptions of what's real - and how we fail to notice or even reject things that don't fit our preconception of the fit, proper, beautiful -- What? Too pedantic? How about -- a good story oddly told? -- Too trite? Will you never be satisfied -- ?

Jan 31 - Moving narrating instance, the reading instance, pace, narrative levels.
Feb 2 - Moderators - Andy and Gabe
Over the weekend, read vols IV - VI

Feb 7 - Moderators: assigned: vol IV - Blaise and Emma

Vol V - Morgan

Feb 9 - Moderators: assigned: vol VI - Eric Christensen and Chris
Over weekend, finish TS, vols VII - IX

Feb 14 - Moderators: vol VII
Feb 16 - Moderators: vol IX
Over weekend, read NA, vol 1 and critical essay

Morgan at Biro : TheBritishNovelSpring2012

The British Novel

BritishNovelStatement2012

Syllabus

Week 1: Intros

Week 2 - 3: Journal of the Plague Year

Weeks 4 - 6: Tristram Shandy

Weeks 7 - 8: Northanger Abbey

Weeks 9 - 11: Bleak House

Weeks 12 - 14: Jacob's Room

weeks 15 - final: A Clockwork Orange