In this slim volume adapted from lectures presented at the Mandel Center for the Humanities at Brandeis University and the British Museum, James Wood demonstrates that fiction is exemplary of George Eliot's claim that "Art is the nearest thing to life." Throughout four concise chapters, Wood explores the value and relevance of fiction—and its readers, writers, and critics—by drawing connections to his own life. Additionally, there are examples from works by writers including Walter Benjamin, John Berger, Aleksandar Hemon, Rachel Kushner, Marilynne Robinson, and Eudora Welty.
