Cambridge University Press – Blog

Lost Plots

Katherine G. Charles’s new Cambridge University Press volume *Lost Plots* examines the pervasive use of interpolated, or “tales‑within‑a‑tale,” in eighteenth‑century novels. The book defines this narrative form, compiles a wide range of examples—from Fielding’s *Joseph Andrews* to Smollek’s *Peregrine Pickle* and Earle’s *Obi*—and proposes a systematic reading methodology. By treating these interruptions as intentional literary devices, Charles argues they reveal hidden power structures, especially around gendered speech. The study positions these forgotten sub‑stories as a crucial lens for reassessing narrative authority in the early novel.