"!3 Ways of Looking at the Novel," by Jane Smiley

       Jane Smiley's book is a 569 page tome. This is mainly because, starting with an Introductory Chapter 13 on page 270, she describes her self-imposed task of not only reading, but detailing the plot lines and critically reviewing, 100 novels, beginning with Murasaki Shikibu, "The Tale of the Genji," and ending with Ian McEwan's "Atonement." This section is 299 pages. On average, her pieces on each novel run about 8 to 10 pages. This marathon effort apparently took well over three years. 

         The Introduction and the first nine chapters cover such topics as "What is a Novel?" and "What is a Novelist?"  and then run through the origins, morality, psychology, the art, the circle of the novel, and the novel and history. Although Smiley's take on all these topics is always interesting, it does cover fairly well trodden ground. For me, the more interesting chapters are: 10 "A Novel of Your Own (I)," 11 "A Novel of Your Own (II)," and,12 a 'case history' of how she wrote the novel "Good Faith." Great stuff for any aspiring writer.

         The copy I have is second-hand (Abe books, 99 cents plus a few dollars postage) and it was clearly money well spent. The prior owner has marked an appreciable number of the novels listed with a tick, indicating--I suppose--that he/she had read them. Against some, it is noted "but where is it?" I think we have all had that problem from time to time.

         Not a book to get from a library and plough through; but one to keep somewhere handy, and, when you have a few minutes to spare, to read one of her pieces on a novel you know you have read but perhaps forgotten what it was all about...