Aspects of the Novel

By: E. M. Forster

Narrated by: Graham Scott

Aspects of the Novel is compiled from a series of lectures delivered in 1927 by E. M. Forster at Trinity College, Cambridge, in which he discussed the English language novel. By using examples from classic texts, he explores the seven universal aspects of the novel: story, characters, plot, fantasy, prophecy, pattern, and rhythm.

Public Domain (P)2023 Voices of Today

only for academics

He seems to take for granted that we have read the novels he uses as examples and the authors he criticises. Some of the concepts he mentions are not well defined. It was worth it though because the first chapters were fantastic.

As thoughtful as you would expect

It’s Forster, after all. Funny and self-deprecating, the author of what may be the finest English novel sifts through aspects of the genre. It’s sometimes revealing to consider what he says in relation to his own _A Passage to India_.

Strangely Fascinating

I found this because I love the narrator, and it is actually a series of lectures given by the author of "A Passage to India" in 1927 (!) to an audience of students at Cambridge University. He does not take himself too seriously and yet offers an understanding of "the novel" that takes the listener through novels that are still being read almost a hundred years later. I found it enlightening, funny, wise and very stimulating. Disclaimer: I love this author's era, and enjoy the manner of speech of the time. Your mileage may vary.