The Family Novel: Toward a Generic Definition

By Yi-Ling Ru

This book is a comparative study of the family novel as a distinctive literary genre. It concentrates on three prototypical family novels, the Chinese trilogy, The Turbulent Trilogy (1906-1940) by Pa Chin; the British trilogy, The Forsyte Saga (1906-1921) by John Galsworthy; and the French novel, Les Thibault (1922-1940) by Roger Martin du Gard. The book argues for the establishment of a new generic category, the Family Novel as a sub-genre of the novel. It describes the four distinctive characteristics; its realism and use of chronology; its sense of ritual and community; the centrality of family conflict; and its unique form.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0820415677
• ISBN13: 9780820415673
• Release Date: August 1992
• Publisher: Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publi
• Length: 221 Pages