Realism

This volume brings together for the first time three aspects that are pertinent for a proper understanding of realism: its origins as a radical 19th-century aesthetic practice of making reality into an object of serious art; the challenges to it taken up in 20th-century literature; and the politics of contemporary realism. Innovative chapters deal with classically realist authors (George Eliot, âEmile Zola), experimental engagements with realism (J.M. Coetzee, Rachel Cusk) and contemporary global novels(Chimamanda Adichie, David Mitchell). The readings assembled here are a testament to the ongoing controversies surrounding definitions and deployments of the genre--