A new book by English professor Daniel R. Schwarz, “Reading the European Novel to 1900,” offers an in-depth examination of major texts, balancing formal and historical criticism in close readings of individual works. “Reading the European Novel” is part of a 10-volume Wiley-Blackwell series, “Reading the Novel,” that Schwarz is editing.

Schwarz examines the history and evolution of the novel until 1900, defining each author’s aesthetic, cultural, political and historical significance. “For example,” says Schwarz, “[Miguel de] Cervantes’ ‘Don Quixote’ defined the form and subject matter of the novel, while we can say that the Russian and French novels defined its realistic direction.”

In this, his 16th book, Schwarz discusses how the novel’s form evolved in response to historical conditions and aesthetic innovation, including those in the visual arts, and how the European novel tends to be more centered in political and social issues than the English and American novel. “But I am also aware of how these masterworks are in a dialogue or conversation with one another and focus on how our understanding of each is increased by seeing them as a whole,” he adds.

European novels tend to balance the study of individuals’ idiosyncrasies and family with a panoramic view of how political, cultural and economic factors shape how an individual thinks and behaves, says Schwarz. In Russia, especially, hierarchy was inherent in the social system; the aristocracy didn’t court social inferiors but were expected to protect them and further their interests.

Some of the recurring themes in the European novel to 1900 that Schwarz emphasizes are the transformation of agrarian life due to machinery and its concomitant effect on traditional rural communities, the rise of capitalism, the evolution of the modern city, the attraction and disappointment of urban life, and the creation of a class of underemployed workers.

“The novel is a flexible form without absolute rules, although it has multiple conventions of narration and dialogue,” says Schwarz. “I don’t treat aesthetic matters in isolation from social, political and historical issues, but rather show how the choices an artist makes shapes the presentation of these issues, even while his understanding of these issues shapes his aesthetic choices.”

Linda B. Glaser is a staff writer for the College of Arts and Sciences.