The Sense of an Ending

A pioneering attempt to relate the theory of literary fiction to a more general theory of fiction, using fictions of apocalypse as a model. This pioneering exploration of the relationship of fiction to age-old conceptions of chaos and crisis offers many new insights into some of the most unyielding philosophical and aesthetic enigmas. Examining the works of a wide range of writers from Pato to William Burroughs, Kermode demonstrates how writers have persistentlyimposed their 'fictions' upon the face of eternity and how these have reflected the apocalyptic spirit.