Reading guide for the novel

The novel is a narrative, usually written in prose, characterized by complexity of plot and the presence of many characters. The plot of the literary novel is distinguished by the extent to which it illuminates human experience. The commercial novel may rely more on coincidence and contrivance for plot resolution. In the literary novel, many of the characters will be round, or multi-dimensional, as we are. In the commercial novel, characters will be flat; they will not demonstrate the desire or ability to be changed by circumstances in any meaningful way. This does not mean that there is no place in our lives or our studies for commercial fiction. Many of our best beloved authors have threaded their way between the literary and the commercial, often within a single work.

For your novel, word-process your responses.

1. List the major events in the plot.

2. Describe the main characters and explain whether they are round or flat.

3. Describe the setting and explain its importance to the narrative tension of the plot or the

psychological tension of the characters. What would be lost if the story were transported to

another time or place?

4. Is the work a literary novel or a commercial novel, or is it a bit of both? Support your

answer.

5. Select one or two passages that you find memorable. Copy or photocopy them and hang onto

them.

6. Select one or two passages that capture the central idea or theme of the novel. Copy or

photocopy them and explain your choice(s). Be care here: The subject (plot) is not the

theme. The theme will be more general. It will have applicability to life experience

outside the novel. BUT, it will not be a maxim or aphorism or moral nor should it be

explained that way.

Extra Credit (5 points)

Consult one reputable source for a critical analysis of your novel. Submit an annotation of the source (MLA Work Cited entry followed by a brief summary; the summary is in block form beneath the entry, but the first word of it is indented). An annotation should reflect the author’s tone and opinion but never your own.

Note: If you select the McCarthy, O’Nan, or Trigiani novel and you want to complete the extra credit, see you. I can help you.

There will be at least one question on the final exam about your novel.