Professor Keith believes that insufficient attention has been paid in the recent past to the art of Canadian fiction. A Sense of Style returns to more traditional emphases. Keith has chosen the work of ten fiction-writers representing the range of Canadian fiction during the past fifty years, and has discussed their writings in what he believes to be the most appropriate terms – terms which emphasize artistry rather than theme or the exploration of national identity. The writers considered are Margaret Atwood, Robertson Davies, Mavis Gallant, Jack Hodgins, Hugh Hood, Margaret Laurence, W.O. Mitchell, Alice Munro, Howard O'Hagan, and Ethel Wilson.