Described by Robert MacFarlane in

The Observer

as Banville’s “boldest book” for its little plot (MacFarlane, 2000:1),

Eclipse

(2000), Banville’s eleventh novel,has engendered contrasting opinions by both reviewers and literary critics.While some praise Banville’s stylish and elegant prose, others lament the lack of plot and characterisation. Indeed, the narrative in

Eclipse

does not follow in chronological order, but sends us back and forth in its protagonist’s troubled life, by means of digressions, twists, and turns. In interview with Arminta Wallace in the

Irish Times

, commenting on the lack of plot in his novels, Banville expresses the wish to have “the world itself reflected in the characters, so that you can almost see through them. They almost become transparent”…

3411 words

Citation: Palazzolo, Pietra. "Eclipse". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 October 2013 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=5446, accessed 28 March 2024.]

5446 Eclipse 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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