FORM AS WORLD: AN INTERPRETATION OF THE EARLY TO MIDDLE NOVELS OF MORDECAI RICHLER: CRITICISM AS AN ARGUMENT

Starting from the premise that form and content are one - intrinsically related ways of speaking of the same thing - I argue that "world" best encapsulates that unity. I use this concept to explore the worlds of Richler's early and middle novels, tracing the parallels between changing themes and changing forms. This essay ends with a critical treatment of St. Urbain's Horseman, in which Richler ends on a heavily qualified, optimistic note, as Jake Hersh finds some meaning and value.