12-09-2017, 09:54 PM
i recently re-read Moby Dick (minus a few paragraphs on whale classifications—in case you haven’t read it, there really is no punchline to that chapter; although, you may want to punch melville for including it) and i suddenly thought to myself, possibly naively, “why is there no Great British Novel?” so, like any scholar worth his salt, i googled it. I found this article.
it doesn’t answer the question. but, it asks a few: is there a Great British Novel? what is it? do we need one? is the concept of The Great American Novel based on a typically american insecurity british authors don’t experience? is there really no british national identity that could be captured in a novel? alternatively, is the british identity so uniform that every british novel express it? etc.
i literally have neither the time nor patience to answer these questions, myself. but, would like to read some of your thoughts on the matter.
ps. controversially, Marabou Stalk Nightmares is my pick for The Great British Novel.
it doesn’t answer the question. but, it asks a few: is there a Great British Novel? what is it? do we need one? is the concept of The Great American Novel based on a typically american insecurity british authors don’t experience? is there really no british national identity that could be captured in a novel? alternatively, is the british identity so uniform that every british novel express it? etc.
i literally have neither the time nor patience to answer these questions, myself. but, would like to read some of your thoughts on the matter.
ps. controversially, Marabou Stalk Nightmares is my pick for The Great British Novel.