Aspects of the Novel

E. M. Forster, one of England’s most distinguished writers, delivered a series of lectures at Trinity College in 1927. The lectures were compiled in a collection of literary essays, Aspects of the Novel. Forster shares what he believes are the seven important aspects of fiction: story, people, plot, fantasy, prophecy, pattern, and rhythm. He uses literary examples to make his points, including Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Marcel Proust, and his commentary is engaging, witty, and conversational. This is not a how-to guide to novel writing but rather an exploration of the elements that make a novel successful.