Tragedy and the Modernist Novel

Tragedy and the Modernist Novel explores how novelists like Thomas Hardy, Virginia Woolf, Albert Camus, and Samuel Beckett embraced a Greek vision of tragedy and a Darwinian vision of nature, revealing unjustified suffering at the core of life. They challenged traditional beliefs that excluded chance and undeserved pain from tragedy and evolutionary biology, using novelistic plots to deliver these forces while offering moments of protest through characters' dissents against unjustifiable harms.

Format: Hardback
Length: 290 pages
Publication date: 10 September 2020
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

This comprehensive exploration of tragic fiction within European modernism brings together a diverse group of novelists who shared a profound belief in a Greek conception of tragedy and a Darwinian perspective on nature. These writers perceived both tragedy and natural history as revealing the inherent suffering that lies at the core of existence. By challenging established philosophical and scientific notions that sought to exclude chance and undeserved pain from the realm of tragedy and evolutionary biology, Thomas Hardy, Virginia Woolf, Albert Camus, and Samuel Beckett emerged as trailblazers.

Tragedy and the Modernist Novel delves into the intricate temporal framework that underpins the structure and ethical dimensions of tragic novels. These authors utilized the novelistic form as a means to convey powerful and destructive natural and historical forces, while simultaneously offering moments of protest and resistance. Through their characters' fleeting dissent against unjustifiable harms, they sought to challenge the dominant narratives and expose the underlying injustices of the time.

By exploring the interplay between tragedy, natural history, and moments of protest, this study offers a fresh perspective on the evolution of literary expression in the modern era. It sheds light on the ways in which novelists sought to confront the complexities of human experience and challenge the status quo through their creative works. Through their exploration of the temporal dimensions of tragic fiction, these authors have left an indelible mark on the literary landscape, inspiring future generations of writers to continue pushing the boundaries of artistic expression.

Weight: 522g
Dimension: 235 x 158 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108496025