description Small World Overview
Small World is a 1984 comic campus novel by British writer David Lodge and the second volume of his Rummidge Trilogy. It follows academics traveling among international conferences while pursuing professional advancement, romantic interests, and a prestigious literary post. Structured partly around the conventions of medieval romance, the novel satirizes scholarly fashions and the increasingly global academic conference circuit.
help Small World FAQ
Do I need to read Changing Places before Small World?
Small World is the second book in David Lodge's Rummidge Trilogy, following Changing Places and preceding Nice Work. It can be enjoyed independently, but the first novel establishes recurring academics such as Philip Swallow and Morris Zapp.
Why is Small World described as an academic romance?
Lodge models its globe-trotting pursuit on medieval romance, with young lecturer Persse McGarrigle chasing Angelica Pabst from conference to conference. The search for a prestigious UNESCO literary chair supplies a second quest for the senior academics.
Is Rummidge a real British university?
No. Rummidge is Lodge's fictionalized version of Birmingham, where he taught at the University of Birmingham. The 1984 novel contrasts that provincial base with an international circuit of airports, hotels, and literary conferences.
Was Small World adapted for television?
Yes. Granada Television produced a television adaptation that was broadcast in 1988. It starred John Sessions as lecturer Persse McGarrigle.
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