In
The Art of Fiction (1992), David
Lodge suggests that
we can think about the history of the novel in terms of the
titles authors select for their books. The earliest examples,
Lodge argues, took the names of their central
characters (
Tom Jones,
Clarissa) to pose as secret
histories, mimicking autobiographical forms. Later novels
used their titles to point a theme (
Sense and Sensibility) or
to evoke a certain mystery (
The Woman in White). By the time
we reach Modernism, titles are selected for
their symbolic or metaphorical resonance (
Ulysses,
The
Rainbow).
-- Stephen Burn, "Beyond the billboard: George Saunders
views the culture of consumerism" (review of The Brief and
Frightening Reign of Phil by George Saunders). Times
Literary Supplement, July 21, 2006, p. 21.