An examination of the art of interpreting the novel in the context of developments in literary theory and criticism. Believing that reading is or should be a pleasurable, creative activity, the authors analyze a range of seven novels from the 18th century to the present, focusing upon the experiential dimensions of the reading process. What is the role of the reader? What happens when a novel is read? How far does meaning depend on the reader, and how far on the text? These and other related questions are explored in readings of novels as diverse as "Tristram Shandy", "Pride and Prejudice", "Great Expectations", "Daniel Deronda", "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man", Beckett's "Trilogy" and "Possession".