Introduction to Post-War British Fiction

This course is an introduction to the study of 20th century literature in English. We consider central terms of and approaches to literary criticism by reading some of the most important British writers of the last fifty years. We will also take into account theories of culture, ideology and nationhood, and attempt to bring into focus a Britain defined as much by its ways of looking as by historical and geopolitical situation. Readings include Kingsley Amis, Greene, McEwan, Zadie Smith, Spark, Kelman, Banville, Naipaul and Sebald. Enrollment limited to 30.