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In an Appendix to the book, in conversation with the author in London
in February 2005, Graham Swift comments extensively on his fiction,
past and future, as well as the laborious process of exploration
which constitutes writing a novel.
… Graham Swift documents the disillusionment
of late twentieth-century British urban middle class as it strives
to recover after losing faith in myths of power and progress. Swift’s
seven novels to date tell family stories: intergenerational strife,
marital disharmony and the inability to communicate are related
to significant moments in nineteenth- and twentieth-century history,
especially the two world wars. As a postmodern author, Swift self-consciously
pays homage to tradition through polyphony and metafiction: in his
novels the moral imperatives of nineteenth-century realism are combined
with fragmented tales of alienation typical of modernism and the
questioning of representation characteristic of contemporary fiction.
… From History to Storytelling
focuses on Swift’s insistent exploration of first-person narratives
of trauma and examines the power of storytelling to relieve guilt.
Overwhelmed by painful memories reconstructed through telling, Swift’s
ageing protagonists are hesitant and frequently unreliable storytellers.
Through narrative they seek to comprehend their place in history,
personal and national. Haunted by their choices, they feel persecuted
by socio-political and natural forces. Swift’s narrators resort
to confession, seeking to accommodate guilt which stems from their
failure as sons, fathers and husbands. By telling stories his characters
learn to explore their suffering for meaning and reconnect with
the world: confessing their guilt redeems them and restores their
faith in life. In novel after novel Swift progressively reinforces
his belief in storytelling as a fundamental human instinct and a
therapeutic ritual.
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List of Contents to follow
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Reviews to follow |
Publication Details
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Hardback ISBN: |
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978-1-84519-068-2 |
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Page Extent / Format: |
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256 pp. / 229 x 152 mm |
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Release Date: |
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To be announced |
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Illustrated: |
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No |
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Hardback Price: |
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£45.00 / $67.50 |
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| This book can be ordered online or by telephone. |
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For the UK and Rest of the World:
Gazelle Book Services
tel. 44 (0)1524-68765 |
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For the United States:
International Specialized Book Services
tel. (1) 503 287-3093 or (800) 944-6190 |
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For Canada:
University of Toronto Distribution
tel. (1) 800-565-9523 |
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