Aspects of A Novel by E M Forster: Story

As an aspiring novelist (mid-way through my first), I am naturally interested in any advice especially from an acclaimed novelist.

I am, to be honest, only faintly familiar with the fictional works of E M Forster but this book always interested me as a precursor to the many DIY and How To books about the craft of writing.

Barring the Introduction which makes one impatient, eager as the reader is to mine all the secrets of writing, the book is surprisingly light read. It is the size of novella (is there a blog post where this Novella word does not figure) and very conversational in style.

He has divided the aspects into 7 chapters beginning with story. He cites exxamples of various people from golfer, bus-driver etc who read the novel and express their opinion on what a novel is. In the ultimate analysis, all agree that it is a story.

Forster thinks that if you catch this creature with a forcep, then the wriggling thing is a story.

Story, story, story. Aha! So anybody thinking of embarking on a writing voyage, remember that novel though it begins with n is actually a story, spelt with capital S.

Next point (he builds his case very meticulously) is that story precedes novel. Even palaeolithic men gather around fire to hear stories so 'reading a story' is a modern phenomenon.

Next, he elaborates that what is it in a story that makes it so riveting.

His pertinent example of Scheherzade from Arabian nights should haunt the would-be's a little. You have to tell a story not because you want to win the Booker or highlight the condition humaine.

It is to ctrl+s (Save) your life.

So your novel (or shall we agreee to call it a story) must make the reader gasp - and then? and then? and then?

So having said that he takes up the example of different authors and talks about the two dimensions of the novel- its inner clock and values.

Time is an inherent quality of a novel- a novel cannot be meaningful unless there is a movement in time. He cites examples of Gertrude Stein, Sartre and Proust who tried to dodge the clock.

And he talks about value.

And that is where the chapter STORY ends.

I have read many hundreds of articles on structure of novel and they all lack the gentle persuasion of Forster who is no hurry to give you a formula.

We will talk about PEOPLE next in another post.