About this season
Best-selling author Sebastian Faulks presents a major four part series on the brilliance of the British novel and its characters.
Episodes (4)
1. The Hero
Aired 5 February 2011 • 60 min
In this episode, Faulks looks at how the hero in literature and ideas of heroism have evolved over the last 300 years, from Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe to Martin Amis's John Self.
2. The Lover
Aired 12 February 2011 • 60 min
In episode two of Sebastian Faulks's series on the English novel, he looks at how literary lovers have taught us the truth about love, from Jane Austen's Mr Darcy to Alan Hollinghurst's Nick Guest.
3. The Snob
Aired 19 February 2011 • 60 min
Sebastian Faulks looks at how novelists from Jane Austen to Monica Ali have used snobs as their secret weapon. With contributions from Tim Lott, Alain de Botton, John Carey and Monica Ali.
4. The Villain
Aired 26 February 2011 • 60 min
Sebastian looks at how the characterization of the villain has grown in British novels over the past 3 centuries, from Lovelace in Samuel Richardson's Clarissa to Barbara in Zoe Heller's Notes on a Scandal.