Edwin Frank explores 100 years of novel evolution

In the exploration of modern fiction, Edwin Frank undertakes a complex survey examining significant contributions from the 20th century. His work, distinguished by a chronological structure, begins with Fyodor Dostoevsky's 'Notes from Underground' published in 1864 and culminates with W.G. Sebald's 'Austerlitz' from 2001, highlighting over thirty notable novels. Frank’s critical insight is rooted in his dual perspective as both an enthusiast and an academic. He emphasizes how the 20th-century novel served as a response to historical changes, including the Great War's impact on literature, reshaping the relationship between self and society that characterized 19th-century literature. Throughout the book, he skillfully identifies thematic parallels among diverse authors, drawing connections between literary experiments and styles that defy traditional classifications. For instance, Frank compares the confessional styles of Colette's 'Claudine at School' and Rudyard Kipling's 'Kim', illustrating how different writers addressed similar issues of identity and social structure. Additionally, he explores groundbreaking works such as Virginia Woolf's 'Mrs. Dalloway' and Gabriel García Márquez's 'One Hundred Years of Solitude', each representing crucial moments in literary history, where novelists wrestled with identity, reality, and narrative form. As readers traverse Frank’s analysis, the author reveals how the 20th-century novel embodies a hybrid form that intertwines elements of memoir, history, and fiction. He provocatively shares poet Randall Jarrell's description of novels as 'prose narratives of a certain length with something wrong with it', encapsulating the inherent complexities and imperfections of novel writing during this period. Frank suggests a collective pursuit among these writers: a belief in the significance of their craft amid the chaos of modern existence, often reflecting on the nature of the novel itself. Ultimately, Frank's work serves not only as a historical overview but also as an invitation for readers to revisit and reconsider classic novels that may have been overlooked or forgotten. By reinvigorating the dialogue around these texts, he fosters a renewed appreciation for their literary merits while underscoring their relevance in the context of evolving society. The engaging narrative he crafts encourages readers to seek out the works discussed and explore the lasting impact these novels have had across cultures and generations.