Part of the Blackwell Manifestos series, The State of the Novel offers a lively, yet rigorous investigation into the state and future of the contemporary British novel written by an expert in the field. * Evaluates the state of the ‘serious literary’ novel and novel criticism* Prominent treatment is paid to the ‘internationalization’ of the novel in English* Offers a manifesto on contemporary fiction from an expert in this field; Dominic Head is best known for his Cambridge Introduction to Modern British Fiction 1950-2000* Establishes the shared interests of contemporary theorists of the novel, cultural commentators, and novel consumers* An ideal supplementary text for students and faculty interested in the novel and contemporary fiction