CONTENTS
Reading edition
Foreword iii
Preface v
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction 11
I. The Ancient Record
Sappho and Ruth 17
Mythology in Classical Authors 24
Later Classical Literature 27
II. From the Dark Ages to the Age of Reason
Introduction 30
Medieval and Renaissance Fiction 33
The Borderline of Reality 39
Neo-Classical Aridity 43
III. From the Romantics to the Moderns
Introduction 51
Precursors of Modern Fiction 54
The Novel Before 1870 60
Evidence from Poets 72
IV. Later Nineteenth Century
Fertility in France 81
Shadow of Feminism 91
Fin de Siècle 99
Summary 114
V. Conjectural Retrospect 116
Louise Labé 117
Charlotte Charke 120
“The Ladies of Llangollen” 122
Karoline von Günderode 124
George Sand 127
Emily Brontë 129
George Eliot 135
Margaret Fuller 136
Adah Isaacs Menken 138
“Michael Field” 141
Emily Dickinson 145
VI. Twentieth Century
Introduction 149
Poetry—French 154
—German 174
—English 177
VII. Fiction in France
Before 1914 193
Post-War Trends 204
VIII. Fiction in Germany
Before 1914 218
Post-War Gleanings 229
IX. Fiction in English
Introduction 240
The Age of Innocence 243
Sophistication and Dispute 255
Post-War Crescendo 269
First Peak: 1928 279
X. Fiction in English (continued)
Sequel to Censorship 288
The Worm’s Turning 307
Above Reproach 314
Another War’s Shadow 324
Second Crescendo 328
Conclusion 342
Notes 355
Bibliographies 362
Index 396