How fiction works by james wood5/13/2023 ![]() ![]() A novel of Kafka's, say, is less concerned with the personality of the character than the irony and metaphor of his situation, bleak and grim as it usually is. These are questions we tend to answer as we read a novel, as we learn the best way to approach the work. ![]() He asks: “Is realism real? How do we define a successful metaphor? What is a character? When do we recognize a brilliant use of detail in fiction? What is point of view, and how does it work? What is imaginative sympathy? Why does fiction move us?” His answers are wrapped around ten chapters and one hundred and twenty-three sections, exploring the fundamental aspects of fiction – character, plot, dialogue, narration, detail, metaphor. In the preface, Wood states the reader's problem with understanding novels. Above all, though, Wood is concerned with exploring the method of literary fiction - the 'how' of it and also the 'why', the 'what' and the 'when'. ![]() Of course, these accusations would only come about if How Fiction Works didn't, but happily James Wood's new book of literary – not criticism, necessarily, more explanation, observation, and exploration – works very well indeed, offering insights into the history of the novel, its failings and achievements, and its possible future. ![]() Titling a work of literary criticism “How Fiction Works” is a confident and aggressive act that leaves the author wide open to accusations of hubris, arrogance, and worse. Book review: James Wood's *How Fiction Works* ![]()
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