Novel

"[T]hough 'The Novel' has big problems...it is far more than a narrowly didactic how-to book. Its main characters are rounded people, each of whom undergoes a crisis that lends dramatic shape to the section he or she dominates....Mr. Michener explores some of the deepest issues raised by narrative literature, most pertinently whether the success of a novel should be measured by the size of its readership...The dialogue is wooden, the plotting is slow and too obvious, and the emotion is often excessive to the point of sticky sentimentality.... It engages the reader with its intelligent discussions of literature and publishing. But it falls so far short of singing that it can barely carry its tune."Michener, James A. is the author of 'Novel' with ISBN 9780449221433 and ISBN 0449221431.