Twentieth-Century Epic Novels
by Theodore L. Steinberg
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ISBN: 0-87413-889-2
Published in 2005
$48.50
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Twentieth-Century Epic Novels argues that the epic continued to exist as a vibrant genre throughout the twentieth century. Critics have often denied the continuing viability of the epic on the basis of such formal characteristics as verse, elevated diction, and the traditional role of the hero. This study contends that those formal elements are largely incidental and that the true essence of epic lies in its subject matter, which focuses on a pivotal moment in the history of a community, whether a people, a nation, or some other social body. After a theoretical and historical survey of epic, starting with Homer and going beyond Milton into the early history of he novel, the study then focuses on five examples of twentieth-century epic novels: Sholem Asch's Three Cities; Olivia Manning's Balkan and Levant Trilogies; Paul Scott's Raj Quartet; Edward Whittemore's Jerusalem Quartet; and Laurence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet. Theodore L. Steinberg teaches in the English Department at SUNY, Fredonia.
