Wednesday 9 February 2011

David Lodge ~ Author, Critic and Teacher

I've just come in from listening to David Lodge talk to our creative writing undergrads.  Unless you're an English graduate yourself, you're most likely to know of David as a novelist.  His campus trilogy, Changing Places, Small World and Nice Work led to frantic attempts on the part of local academics to try and pin just which of them had contributed to the works as models for particular characters and I know of at least one individual in a very senior role who read all three of them in preparation for her interview in the department so that she would have a flavour of what the university was like and the type of people she might possibly be working with.  David, of course, strenuously denies that Rummidge University is based in any way on the institution in which he taught for almost three decades or that there is any link at all between his characters and the people with whom he worked.  No one believes him for an instance!

Latterly, his novels have had a less academic background, although the most recent, Deaf Sentence, did return to the topic if somewhat indirectly.  Today, however, he came to talk to the students about his forthcoming book, A Man of Parts, which is published at the beginning of April.  Like his novel Author, Author, A Man of Parts is biographical fiction, in this instance concerning the novelist H G Wells, and I want to return in a later post to what he had to say about writing in this particular genre when I've had more time to think about it because, as those of you who are English graduates will appreciate, what he said was theoretically very sound but also very complex.

Because, David Lodge's other writing reflects his career as one of our major literary critics.  His work ranges from that very accessible set of essays, The Art of Fiction, to seminal texts such as Modern Criticism and Theory: a Reader and Consciousness and the Novel.  When David talks about fiction you are always aware that what he has to to say is underpinned by a depth of knowledge and understanding that leaves most other people gasping.  Our creative writing students may have been drinking in every word concerning the shaping of a mass of research into a novel, but those in the audience who study literature from a more theoretical standpoint were also busy taking notes and rapidly making links between what he was saying about the way the novel is now moving and the development of other strands of modern culture.

However, what wasn't mentioned by the person who introduced him, but which must by the end of the session have been apparent to everyone in the room, was the fact that David Lodge is simply the most brilliant teacher I have ever known.  As I said earlier, he taught at the University for a very long time and is still Emeritus Professor in the Department of English and even though I was a language student I used to sneak into the postgraduate seminars he held each week in his rather cramped office.  (Well, it was actually rather spacious for an office, but definitely cramped when all the students who wanted to attend piled in.)  Every week one of the postgrads would introduce a topic focussed on a particular text and then we would have a free-for-all discussion.  At the time I was already a teacher of some years standing, but had never worked at that level and I would watch him spellbound.  Everything I now know about running seminars be they for undergrads or more experienced students, I learned from observing David.  He has the most remarkable gift of making every one who contributes feel as if they have just made the very point that will elucidate the topic under discussion for the entire group.  He did exactly the same thing this afternoon in the question and answer session.  "What a good question....."  "Now that is a really interesting point...."  The students came out glowing.

So, perhaps the final thing that should be said about David Lodge is that as well as being an extremely gifted writer, critic and teacher he is also a very kind human being.

10 comments:

  1. I've heard so many good things about Lodge as a writer and have a few of his books on my shelf waiting for when I can give them attention, but how cool that you've been able to attend his seminars and talks and that he is such a good teacher too! And I am intrigued by his new book. H.G. Wells is such an interesting person it will be fun to see what Lodge does with him.

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  2. If you have it, Stefanie, I'd recommend starting with 'Nice Work'. Although it was in many ways of it's time, when academics were being almost forcibly pushed into going out to work in the community (recent and relevant experience I still quake at the words!), there is a lot that is relevant now and I think it shows David's dry wit at its best. I'll write a bit about the new book over the weekend.

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  3. Lucky you!! It is the most rare gift to find brilliance and the ability to teach well housed in the same person. I love stories that end with students' eyes lit up.

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  4. I somehow didn't realize Lodge actually taught! I've read one of his novels and part of another for class and have always meant to read more. He sounds like a pretty amazing person.

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  5. Nathalie, I sometimes think there are fewer people out there who can really teach well than there are who have brilliance in another field. It's as a teacher I value Lodge the most.

    Erin, do read the trilogy. The books are really funny, especially if you have links with a university.

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  6. Wow, what a very lovely post. It's wonderful to hear about the man.

    I have read (most of) The art of fiction (great for dipping into) and all of Author author which I enjoyed. It was pretty amazing when it came out around the same time as Toibin's The master, and both took as their starting point James' failed play. As I recollect I liked The master slightly more - but only slightly. Both were interesting books.

    I have Nice work here but haven't managed to read it in all the years I've had it. The HG Wells one sounds as though it might be interesting.

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  7. The Toibin came out six months earlier, WG, and I know that Lodge was quite miffed about it. And he very nearly started on a book about E. Nesbit that would have coincided with A S Byatt's 'The Children's Book' so he must have begun to think biographical fiction wasn't for him. Of course, Wells appears in that thinly disguised as Herbert Methley.

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  8. Nice Work is one of my favourite books (I love all the allusions to 19th century industrial novels) & I've read several of Lodge's other books as well. I've always enjoyed his work & I'm looking forward to reading the new one. Thank you for giving us a glimpse of the man as well as the novelist.

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  9. Oh, lucky you! I'm quite jealous that you got to spend so much time with him and learn so much from him! I enjoyed his academic novels very much, and I have his book on Henry James waiting for me to get to it. I haven't read his books of criticism, but I'm very curious about them because I love good, readable criticism when I can find it.

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  10. I think 'Nice Work' is my favourite as well, Lyn. I do love the Philip Sparrow books, but mainly because the general belief is that I worked with him:)

    I really do know how lucky I've been, Dorothy. He was very unlucky with the James book, because Toibin pipped him to the post and to be fair it was a better book as well. Apparently, there have been at least four other fictional accounts of that period in James' life since then. I wonder why he's suddenly become such bankable currency? The criticism is very varied in its intended audience. Start with 'The Art of Fiction' and then move on if you like the style.

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