Prosaic Times

Time as Subject in Wordsworth, Richardson, Flaubert, and Melville

By: Dr. John Park

Write A Review

Paperback | 19 March 2026

At a Glance

Paperback
208 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.54

Paperback

RRP $59.99

$58.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $14.69 with

or

Ships in 25 to 30 business days

Analyzing the stylistic innovations most characteristic in pivotal works of literary realism, Prosaic Times shows how their styles are not merely ornamental but fundamental to building their own temporalities.

By capturing the temporal dimensions in Wordsworthâs The Prelude, Richardsonâs Clarissa, Flaubertâs âUn Coeur Simple,â and Melvilleâs Moby Dick, John Park argues that these literary works of realism â" the artistic claim to represent life as it is â" do not necessarily depend upon the plotline of the story they tell. The reduced significance placed on plot is counterbalanced by something else: an experience of duration, a sheer extension of time in reading, a sense of time stemming from the unique stylistic innovations in each work.

Contrasting with the view that realism represents social conditions, this book claims that while realist works represent society, they themselves are not bound to social conditions. Instead, literary realism accounts for ways of configuring history that render social conditions understandable. The active quality of language, of what narrative discourse says and does in forming our understanding of real things and events, is brought directly to the readerâs attention in these works.

Through close readings that analyze, among other things, the natural objects and scenes of experience; dense, temporal overlapping of accounts; the depiction of the quotidian ways of a village; and the boundless occasion for âtimelessâ metaphysical reflections, Park shows how narration not only âtakesâ time, but ultimately makes time part of the experience it represents to the reader.

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $79.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.