Unnatural Voices

Just to show that I'm capable of saying something positive about a new work of literary criticism, let me share how much I'm enjoying Unnatural Voices: Extreme Narration in Modern and Contemporary Fiction by Brian Richardson. I'm just two chapters in and I have already written my name in the book, which means it's a keeper. The prose is clear, the reasoning sophisticated, and the scope admirable--and best of all, he approaches the topic with a refreshing originality and depth of insight, making me want to revisit the literature and rethink my assumptions. I envision assigning part or all of the book in my upper-level novel class, which focuses on twentieth-century experiments in narration; even students who resist thinking about formal elements of narration will find Richardson's argument and examples engaging. Besides that, the cover illustration is neat. Gold stars all around.