Sounding the classics

This book is a comparative study of twelve works of fiction broadly representative of the Western canon. Its aim is to discover what gives these twelve works their lasting appeal and vitality over and beyond their formal qualities. It focuses on the interplay of "text" and "subtext" within each work after defining these terms at the outset. It then compares its twelve sample classics systematically in a conclusion that argues from the works themselves to classics in general. Binion's key finding is that for a piece of fiction to feel deep, whole, and great, as classics do, its text must be…