Aspects of the novel

About “Aspects of the novel”

The Clark Lectures, sponsored by Trinity College, University of Cambridge, have featured talks by notable literary figures. In 1927, E.M. Forster, author of A Passage to India, was invited to speak, marking the first time a novelist was selected. Despite his reservations about criticism, Forster accepted and delivered eight insightful lectures on the novel. His talks, witty and informal, explored the nature of characters, distinguishing between "flat" and "round" characters. Flat characters can be summarized in a single sentence, while round characters are complex and capable of change. Forster did not dismiss flat characters, noting that some novelists, like Dickens, used them effectively. Aspects of the Novel, based on these lectures, also examined story and plot, prophetic fiction, and narrative structure. Forster drew on works by writers such as Joyce, Tolstoy, and Proust. While the book sparked debate, its influence remains significant in literary criticism.