Our book group’s
discussion of David Lodge’s satirical campus novel Small World (1984) produced a scenario worthy of inclusion in the novel itself. It became apparent quite early in the
proceedings that the book’s proposer was labouring under the misapprehension
that he had asked us to read another novel by David Lodge, Nice Work. He forlornly
brandished the covers of the two books for our inspection, citing an uncanny
similarity of appearance.
We had barely
recovered our poise after this revelation, and agreed that we would, in fact,
discuss Small World, when a late arrival joined
the group by taxi from a long luncheon.
In his case, the comic novel he was irrepressibly set on expounding
seemed to be Whisky Galore.
Making sense of
the ensuing discussion was at times challenging, and to produce a cohesive
account of the evening is a task beyond the abilities of this writer. I will therefore simply outline our
more relevant exchanges in the order in which they arose.
David Lodge’s biographical background was
sketched in by the proposer.
Notably relevant were his tenure of a Professorship in English
Literature at the University of Birmingham, his additional experience of
teaching in American universities, and his literary friendship with Malcolm
Bradbury.
There was
agreement that the novel, although satirical, was not in all respects an
exaggeration of the truth. There
were enough academics and conference-goers in our group with experience of the
period in question (the 1970s), to verify Lodge’s portrayal of such events as
potpourris of booze, ennui, sex, and tourism. This was qualified by the lament of scientists present that
such was not their way, and that clearly scholars in the humanities were more
promiscuous and hedonistic – or at least had more opportunities to be so.
It was observed
that universities and academia ran on much more cash-strapped lines nowadays,
with attendant pressures on their staff, and that David Lodge was depicting
more easy-going times.
Structure and
narrative elements were discussed: one reader pointed out that part one seemed
very different from the rest of the novel; another commented on the enjoyable
interweaving of different characters and threads; a third on the undisguised
use of coincidences (for example Cheryl reading the very book that Persse is
seeking). It was observed that
underlying literary references, such as the quest for the Holy Grail, were
lightly handled, and exuberant satire was the dominant mode. Racial stereotyping was commented upon
as an easy source of humour.
Overall, one reader felt that Lodge was perhaps trying a bit too hard,
and preferred others among his novels, while another thought that this was his
best work. There was some brief
discussion of the merits of Nice Work, Changing
Places, Deaf Sentence, and his academic book The
Art of Fiction.
We discussed the
place of Small World within a well-defined
genre, the campus novel (although of course the ‘campus’ of this novel is
global). Tom Sharpe, Malcolm
Bradbury, Kingsley Amis and Bernard Malamud were invoked. One reader complained of a certain
predictability, but another drew attention to significant differences of
approach within the genre.
In so far as
Lodge’s characters are used to exemplify different methodological and
philosophical approaches to the study of literature, we felt that the satire
was quite subdued, and that Leavisite, structuralist, feminist, Freudian, etc
approaches were presented with only slight exaggerations. The function of literary criticism is,
however lightly handled, a pervading and serious theme of the book. We were mostly happy with Philip
Swallow’s remarks at the conference as a reasonable everyman’s definition of
the function of literary criticism, and one that illuminated our own activity
as a group of people meeting to discuss literature.
