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9780062381095

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Delers positions his account of the rise of the modern novel as an alternative to the account of Ian Watt and other social theorists for whom, as Delers writes in the introduction, 'the novel is the literary vehicle best equipped to convey through its characters and storylines the perfect rationality of homo economicus.' Looking at six French novels of the 17th and 18th centuries (Le Roman bourgeois, La Princesse de Cleves, Manon Lescaut, Julie, Lettres d'une Peruvienne, and Justine), the author argues that rather than map the progress of modern economic transactions in the 'real' world, the novels portray characters who develop alternative economies that are increasingly unrealistic-idiosyncratic, utopian, or dystopian. Initiated largely by female characters, these alternative economies seek to create a social structure in which an authentic sense of self can be reclaimed. Delers supports his analysis by using what he calls literary anthropology, a methodology that draws from historiography, economic sociology, science studies, and literary theory, yet remains grounded in a close reading of the economic behavior of the main characters of the novels. This is not a definitive history of the realistic novel, nor does Delers purport it to be. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty. * CHOICE *

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Kathleen Krull garnered starred reviews and awards for her many books. The Children's Book Guild of Washington, DC, honored her with its Nonfiction Award for her body of work that ""has contributed significantly to the quality of nonfiction for children."" She lived in San Diego, California. Learn more about her online at www.kathleenkrull.com.

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