End of Empire and the English Novel Since 1945

Bill Schwarz

"This first book-length study explores the history of post-war England during the end of empire through a reading of novels which appeared at that time, moving from George Orwell and William Golding to Penelope Lively, Alan Hollinghurst and Ian McEwan. Particular genres are also discussed, including the family saga, travel writing, detective fiction and popular romances. All included reflect on the predicament of an England which no longer lies at the centre of imperial power, arriving at a fascinating diversity of conclusions about the meaning and consequences of the end of empire. Some explicitly address the empire and its demise; others do so in a more muted form. Gilmour and Schwarz link together the historical question of the end of the British empire with the literary issue of the place of the English novel in the post-war years, for the first time addressing the literary...