pagesofjulia

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

I am quite impressed so far with this truly small introduction to literature, from myth and the oral tradition through the now. It’s a feat.

I chose this teaser for you because I found it impactful – something I’d never thought about before, and yet made perfect sense in the instant I read it. Also a little chilling, but that’s just me.

Why did what we (but not they) call the ‘novel,’ the ‘new thing,’ emerge at this particular time and in this particular place (London)? The answer is that the rise of the novel took place at the same time and in the same place as the rise of capitalism. Different as these two things may seem, they are intimately connected.

Stay tuned for more!

This quotation comes from an uncorrected advance proof and is subject to change.

Filed under: tuesday teasers | Tagged: authors, classics, history, nonfiction |