"David Lodge's first novel, The Picturegoers, appeared in 1960, but it is only since the mid-1970's that he has emerged as a major British novelist and literary theorist with a strong following in both Britain and the United States. The three novels that gained the widest attention, and which continue to be his best known works, are Changing Places (1975), Small World (1985), and Nice Work (1989)." "In addition to his success as a writer of fiction, he is also internationally known as a literary critic and scholar. Indeed, one of the most interesting facets of his work is the relationship between his novels and his theoretical and critical writings. In this first book-length study of both Lodge's fiction and non-fiction works, Bruce K. Martin examines what exactly the terms that are usually applied to Lodge's fiction - such as "literary novels" and "social comedies"--Really mean and how well they actually describe the work. He explores the characteristic concerns, techniques, and strategies that mark Lodge's writing, relates his novels to other recent fiction, and looks for connections between Lodge's work and that of earlier works by other authors who may have influenced him."--Jacket.