Selling the Story: Transaction and Narrative Value in Balzac, Dostoevsky, and Zola by Jonathan Paine

REVIEWS Selling the Story: Transaction and Narrative Value in Balzac, Dostoevsky, Zola. By J P. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. . xiv+  pp. £.. ISBN ––––. is book proposes economic models for output of three authors emblematic professional writer first age commercialized fiction. An introduction , ‘e Economics Narrative’, articulates a pragmatic approach, grounded ‘economic criticism’ (p. ), to ‘narrative as commentary on conditions its own production’ ): these include novel’s nineteenth-century status periodical genre, ‘professional turn’ whereby ‘writers [made] living [. . .] from business selling narratives’ ) readers, more or less liable ‘buy’ ) narratives depending how convincing ‘prospectus’ (of mimetic claims) put forward them was. ree prospectuses are discussed turn. ‘Balzac: Business’ identifies ‘emergence novel commercial driver’ ) retreat prose narrative press pervasive themes Balzac’s writing, specifically terms their impact it during composition (–) Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes. e running theme is derived recurrent use work, where (commercial) ‘prospectuses’—like those fictions recounting failure exposure—routinely turn out be false. ‘Dostoevsky: Who Buys Story?’ focuses Bratʹya Karamazovy (e Brothers Karamazov), which deploys an eclectic mix genres articulate Dostoevsky’s concerns enlist reader attention them, struggle between assertion authorial view value literary discourse engaged with complex philosophical questions, need attract retain readers marketplace. Iteration—an established novelistic device ‘with proven function’ ), exploited (for example) by Balzac—is key resolution this struggle. Persistently repeating motif sum  roubles, contains dozens full partial retellings central story, iterations critically related context contemporary publishing industry, particular serialization. ‘Zola: Business Narrative’ two commercially themed novels, La Curée L’Argent, charting fortunes emblematically acquisitive Aristide Rougon/Saccard. ese novels’ ‘enhanc[ement of] value’ realization that ‘narratives also become part narrative’ ). here return, Zola’s career, fiction form, accompanied increases literacy population. Critical journalistic background. Curée’s appeal lies salacious stuff mass-circulation journalism: ‘excess device’ ). Zolian naturalism typically ‘power create illusion rooted reader’s expectations’, only purpose violating what David Baguley ‘contractual relationship shared conventional expectations’  Reviews ). Naturalism, however, can seen much sales tool philosophy ), Zola ‘may closer Saccard than he admit[s]’ ). If Banque Universelle ‘a story told, prospectus sold, Saccard’ ), itself, ‘the crash’, crash story’ ): naturalist bursts bubble. analogies occasionally somewhat oversold Jonathan Paine’s interpretative pitch, claims reader’, despite caveats, would have bene fited greater theoretical context. However, arguments within well-digested range relevant criticism, work—containing useful appendices, including provision original quotations—is welcome addition. U  K L D Assessing English Spanish Translations Proust’s ‘À la recherche du temps perdu’. H E. C. New York: Peter Lang. . viii+ pp.£. ––––. aphorism task resembles translator starting point Herbert Craig’s study translations À perdu. Proust himself dabbled translation, conceived literature translation phenomenal experience into language. Translation was thus important French...