Department of English

In this five-week course we'll study the history of the British novel through its representations of Britain's central city, London. We will read five novels in five weeks and will also read a few accounts of the novel's history and characteristics. In addition, we'll visit many of the sites (and sights) that the novels themselves represent, from East London and London Bridge to Greenwich, Tyburn Tree, Sadler's Wells and Vauxhall, Mayfair, Picadilly, and Covent Garden. Our aim will be to understand the symbiotic relationships existing between London and the novel, and to trace how the growth of the former--and its habit of remaking itself into a series of spectacles and shows.

It also can be taken as a 200-level seminar with additional readings and assignments.