Margaret Drabble Criticism
Margaret Drabble, an influential figure in British literature, has built a distinguished career as a novelist, editor, and critic. Born in 1939 in Sheffield, England, Drabble emerged as a significant voice in the postwar literary scene, deftly navigating the evolving landscape of modern womanhood. Her novels have long been recognized for their keen examination of feminism and social dynamics, as they explore the tensions between personal ambitions and traditional gender roles. This theme is particularly evident in her early works like A Summer Bird-Cage and The Millstone, which are praised for their introspective nature and vivid depiction of contemporary life, as highlighted by Walter Allen and the Times Literary Supplement.
Drabble's career began with semi-autobiographical narratives that examined sexual freedom and motherhood, paralleling the narrative styles of 19th-century authors like George Eliot. This approach is further explored in Acts of Self-Creation: Female Identity in the Novels of Margaret Drabble, which emphasizes Drabble's ability to intertwine the public and private realms. While her early work focused on personal relationships, her later novels, such as the trilogy of The Radiant Way, A Natural Curiosity, and The Gates of Ivory, expanded to encompass broader social and moral themes, probing into the upheavals of contemporary British society.
Critics such as Lucy Ellmann and Henry Fairlie have noted both the strengths and potential overreaches in Drabble's ambitious narratives. Her ability to merge personal and national crises is aptly demonstrated in The Ice Age, a novel that critiques the societal shifts of 1970s England, as analyzed by Maureen Howard and Ben Yagoda.
Despite some critique regarding her use of metaphor by James Gindin, Drabble's work remains a cornerstone of literary discourse, praised for its narrative depth and exploration of personal and societal complexities. Her editorial contributions, notably to the Oxford Companion to English Literature, along with her biographical studies, underline her comprehensive influence on English literature. The nuanced portrayal of identity and autonomy in novels like The Waterfall and Jerusalem the Golden continues to engage critics such as Roger Sale and David Gordon, ensuring Drabble's enduring legacy in literary scholarship.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Drabble, Margaret (Vol. 129)
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The ‘Liberation’ of Margaret Drabble
(summary)
In the following essay, Korenman explores feminist issues and sexual equality in Drabble's fiction. According to Korenman, “without insensitive spouses, helpless children, and thwarted careers to divert attention” Drabble's liberated women “confront the meaninglessness of life.”
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Acts of Self-Creation: Female Identity in the Novels of Margaret Drabble
(summary)
In the following essay, Hoffman explores Drabble's depiction of female experience and self-awareness in her novels and the influence of Virginia Woolf and Doris Lessing. Commenting on The Middle Ground, Hoffman writes, “the novel itself constitutes for Drabble the opportunity to bring together the public and private, the political and the maternal.”
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Cupboards Full of Skeletons
(summary)
In the following essay, Lucy Ellmann offers tempered criticism of Margaret Drabble's novel A Natural Curiosity, highlighting its exploration of curiosity's role in societal chaos and personal dilemmas, while noting that Drabble's narrative style is sometimes overly descriptive and self-conscious, potentially diminishing the impact of its darker themes.
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Drab Bull
(summary)
In the following essay, Henry Fairlie argues that Margaret Drabble's novel A Natural Curiosity is a flawed and uninspired sequel to The Radiant Way, criticizing its contrived plot, lackluster characterization, and heavy-handed thematic exploration of 1980s England's societal issues, resulting in a narrative that lacks clarity and engagement.
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What Really Happened
(summary)
In the following essay, Brina Caplan argues that Margaret Drabble's novel A Natural Curiosity fails to develop its characters meaningfully, instead resorting to surface-level observations and narrative tricks, which results in a lack of emotional depth and understanding of the motivations behind the characters' actions.
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‘A Piercing Virtue’: Emily Dickinson in Margaret Drabble's The Waterfall
(summary)
In the following essay, Bergmann explores similarities between Emily Dickinson's poetic persona and the self-conscious heroine of Drabble's The Waterfall. According to Bergmann, both share preoccupations with love and mortality, often expressed in the form of “paradox, imagery, irony, and reversal.”
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Puritan Self-Fashioning in The Needle's Eye
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In the following essay, Friedman examines “Drabble's attempt to apply Puritan remedies to modern dilemmas” in The Needle's Eye.
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A Hard Time
(summary)
In the following review, Victoria Radin offers an unfavorable assessment of Margaret Drabble's "The Gates of Ivory," criticizing its lack of novelistic cohesion, its superficial engagement with themes of hopelessness and horror, and its ineffective stylistic attempts at postmodern experimentation, ultimately finding it lacking in emotional impact and authenticity.
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Severed Heads, Primal Crimes, Narrative Revisions: Margaret Drabble's A Natural Curiosity
(summary)
In the following essay, Rubenstein examines the significance of decapitation and social deviancy in A Natural Curiosity. As Rubenstein notes, Drabble draws upon allusions to classical mythology and Freudian psychology to explore the mysteries of human nature and latent evil.
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Numbers Game
(summary)
In the following essay, Annan offers a favorable evaluation of Margaret Drabble's "The Gates of Ivory," praising its vibrant narrative and its insightful critique of the modern world, while also noting the challenges Drabble faces in balancing individual destinies with historical multitudes within the novel's structure.
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Unnatural Curiosity
(summary)
In the following essay, Hermione Lee provides a mixed assessment of Margaret Drabble's novel The Gates of Ivory, highlighting its exploration of moral ambiguity and narrative self-awareness, and arguing that while it struggles with its ambitious themes and questions of evil, it ultimately achieves an "unexpectedly moving" resonance through its exploration of characters' confrontations with societal and personal complexities.
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Good Time, Bad Time
(summary)
In the following essay, Judith Grossman offers tempered criticism of Margaret Drabble's novel The Gates of Ivory, arguing that while it ambitiously intertwines global and personal narratives to explore themes of Good and Bad Time, it falters by attempting to cover too broad a canvas without adequately addressing Western ethical implications.
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Miss Porntip Sends Flowers
(summary)
In the following essay, Suzanne Keen offers a favorable assessment of Margaret Drabble's novel "The Gates of Ivory," analyzing its exploration of England's contemporary condition through global contexts, its narrative structure, and its thematic juxtaposition of "Good Time" and "Bad Time," while highlighting Drabble's distinctive use of objects as oblique metaphors.
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The Horror
(summary)
In the following essay, Greene offers a positive evaluation of Margaret Drabble's novel, The Gates of Ivory, highlighting the work's ambitious exploration of the complexities inherent in understanding and representing the global atrocities of the twentieth century and examining the moral and representational challenges faced by writers engaging with such themes.
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Fragmented Bodies/Selves/Narratives: Margaret Drabble's Postmodern Turn
(summary)
In the following essay, Rubenstein examines postmodern literary experiments in Drabble's novels. As Rubenstein contends, Drabble employs images of bodily injury, psychological fragmentation, and narrative disjunction to express the incomprehensibility of twentieth century experience.
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Leaving Dr. Leavis: A Farewell to the Great Tradition? Margaret Drabble's The Gates of Ivory
(summary)
In the following essay, Knutsen examines Drabble's postmodern perspective and moral vision in The Gates of Ivory. According to Knutsen, “The Gates of Ivory is a novel about the unmasking of illusions,” including the inadequacies of postmodern philosophy itself.
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State of the Nation
(summary)
In the following essay, Alex Clark offers a positive assessment of Margaret Drabble's novel The Witch of Exmoor, praising its exploration of national identity and social issues through the eccentric character of Frieda Haxby Palmer and her family's unraveling, while highlighting Drabble's skillful narrative and critique of the just society.
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Matriarchal Secrets
(summary)
In the following review, Jewett offers an unfavorable assessment of Margaret Drabble's The Witch of Exmoor, criticizing its fragmented narrative and incoherent blend of realism and Gothic elements, and suggesting that despite Drabble's talent, the novel's structure and tone ultimately fail to provide a satisfying resolution.
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The ‘Liberation’ of Margaret Drabble
(summary)
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Drabble, Margaret (Vol. 22)
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All for Art
(summary)
In the following essay, Walter Allen praises Margaret Drabble's A Summer Bird-Cage for its vivid depiction of contemporary life and its insightful exploration of personal relationships, particularly through the protagonist's attempts to form genuine connections, set against the backdrop of her sister's failing marriage.
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Other New Novels: 'A Summer Bird-Cage'
(summary)
The critic praises Margaret Drabble's A Summer Bird-Cage for its humor, vivid character depiction, and engaging narrative, recognizing its limits but commending its assurance and recommending it for its compassionate comedy.
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Novels: 'The Garrick Year'
(summary)
In the following essay, P. N. Furbank critiques Margaret Drabble's novel The Garrick Year for its thin character development and flimsy thematic texture, while acknowledging the interest generated by the protagonist's self-defining journey despite limited narrative material.
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What Emma Learned
(summary)
In the following essay, Daniel Stern praises Margaret Drabble's novel "The Garrick Year" for its intelligent exploration of a young woman's internal conflict and self-discovery, highlighting Drabble's artful narrative style which transforms the protagonist's mundane life into a profound reflection on womanhood and identity.
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Women's Mirror
(summary)
The critic contends that Margaret Drabble's novel "Jerusalem the Golden" meticulously examines middle-class life with a blend of humor and seriousness, achieving a noteworthy portrayal of 1960s London despite criticisms of a formal style and an unsatisfactory conclusion.
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New Books in Review: 'Jerusalem the Golden'
(summary)
In the following essay, David Gordon argues that Margaret Drabble's novel, "Jerusalem the Golden," uses a sophisticated narrative to explore themes of personal fulfillment, guilt, and the illusion of destiny, highlighting Clara Maugham's complex journey from provincial constraints to an equally limiting urban sophistication, rendered with intelligence and grace.
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Female and Male Subjects
(summary)
The critic argues that Margaret Drabble, despite being positioned to address grand themes akin to George Eliot, confines herself to domestic narratives, as illustrated by her portrayal of traditional romantic entanglements in "The Waterfall," which ultimately fails to explore the themes of joy and happiness comprehensively.
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A Life in Limbo
(summary)
In the following essay, William Trevor commends Margaret Drabble's "The Waterfall" for its introspective style and subtlety, praising it as a perceptive achievement that expands on her previous works while suggesting it provides profound insights into the dynamics of love and relationships.
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Its Discontents
(summary)
In the following essay, Roger Sale argues that while Margaret Drabble's The Waterfall may deal with a familiar and unremarkable storyline, Drabble excels in her portrayal of women through her sensitivity and honesty, particularly highlighted by a remarkable meditation on the impact of childhood experiences.
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Fantasy and Femaleness in Margaret Drabble's 'The Millstone'
(summary)
In the following essay, Susan Spitzer analyzes Margaret Drabble's The Millstone, arguing that the novel portrays the protagonist Rosamund's moral growth and self-awareness as superficial and rooted in self-deception, ultimately revealing deeper themes of resistance to truth and reality, particularly concerning female identity and unconscious desires.
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Margaret Drabble and the Journey to the Self
(summary)
In the following essay, Joan Manheimer explores how Margaret Drabble's novels address the journey towards female identity, highlighting the challenges imposed by societal expectations and familial roles, and examining the evolution of Drabble's narrative techniques, particularly in "The Waterfall," to portray the potential for self-construction amidst threats to female autonomy.
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Feminine Endings—and Beginnings: Margaret Drabble's 'The Waterfall'
(summary)
In the following essay, Ellen Cronan Rose argues that Margaret Drabble's The Waterfall explores the dual nature of female identity, both rational and emotional, and the necessity for a woman, particularly a female writer, to reconcile and incorporate these divisions, using a narrative form that unites feminine fluidity with masculine structure.
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Awkward Age
(summary)
In the following essay, Francis King examines Margaret Drabble's The Middle Ground, emphasizing its portrayal of London's complexity and fragmented life through detailed character histories, while suggesting Drabble's work purposely lacks a conventional plot to reflect modern life's incomprehensibility and the potential for hope and renewal.
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Margaret Drabble: 'The Middle Ground'
(summary)
In the following essay, William Boyd critiques Margaret Drabble's novel The Middle Ground for its complex structure and narrative style, but ultimately praises its progression toward a smooth integration of past and present and highlights its use of symbolic imagery and humble, consoling conclusions.
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Our Chronicler of Britain
(summary)
In the following essay, Phyllis Rose critiques "The Middle Ground" by Margaret Drabble, arguing that the novel, while a fascinating exploration of British urban life and personal crisis, struggles with its experimental narrative form, reflecting a tension between psychological introspection and societal commentary.
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You Better Believe It
(summary)
In the following essay, Denis Donoghue critiques Margaret Drabble's The Middle Ground for its failure in realism, arguing that Drabble's treatment of themes such as feminism and existential malaise lacks authentic engagement and results in a superficial narrative devoid of compelling conviction.
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A Larger Orchestration
(summary)
In the following essay, Thomas F. Staley argues that Margaret Drabble's The Middle Ground ambitiously explores the complexities of individual consciousness and societal dynamics, though its narrative occasionally struggles to integrate these perspectives smoothly, with Kate Armstrong's character serving as a central conduit for examining the era's cultural and psychological tensions.
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All for Art
(summary)
- Drabble, Margaret (Vol. 8)
- Drabble, Margaret (Vol. 2)
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Drabble, Margaret (Vol. 10)
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On First Looking into 'The Realms of Gold'
(summary)
In the following essay, Patricia Sharpe examines Margaret Drabble's novels, highlighting how their atypical endings defy traditional moral judgments and expectations by focusing on the personal growth and self-discovery of her characters through non-traditional choices, thereby broadening readers' perspectives on human nature and relationships.
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Public and Private Games
(summary)
In the following essay, Maureen Howard argues that Margaret Drabble's novel "The Ice Age" skillfully integrates England's public crises into the private struggles of her characters, highlighting themes of aging, societal decline, and the illusory nature of freedom, while revitalizing the 19th-century novel form through her masterful narrative technique.
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Before the Thaw
(summary)
In the following essay, Frank Granville Barker critiques Margaret Drabble's The Ice Age for its ambitious yet flawed portrayal of 1970s England, arguing that while Drabble's talent for character development and narrative scope is apparent, the novel's reliance on unsympathetic characters and unconvincing transformations undermines its dramatic and moral impact.
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The Trouble with England
(summary)
In the following essay, Ben Yagoda examines Margaret Drabble's novel "The Ice Age," arguing that Drabble uses personal calamities of her characters as a microcosm for England's national crisis, depicting the country's struggles in the 1970s as a reflection of moral and existential causality.
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Maureen Howard
(summary)
In the following essay, Maureen Howard contends that Margaret Drabble's The Ice Age marks a new level of authority in her work, skillfully balancing intricate plot and social commentary, though faltering with the character of Anthony Keating whose spiritual transformation appears contrived within the novel's thematic exploration of modern-day Britain.
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James Gindin
(summary)
In the following essay, James Gindin critiques Margaret Drabble's novel The Ice Age for its heavy reliance on exaggerated metaphors and inconsistent authorial judgments, arguing that these elements undermine the novel's portrayal of character development and social commentary.
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On First Looking into 'The Realms of Gold'
(summary)
- Drabble, Margaret (Vol. 3)
- Drabble, Margaret (Vol. 5)
- Further Reading