MLY.G.SHADES@MIT-OZ (07/05/85)
From: shades <MLY.G.SHADES%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC.ARPA> i have been avoiding the this entire issue of tucker versus the rest of world however i do wish to make one small point. tom de bellis is correct in that the divine comedy is not a novel. it was and is an epic poem. the genesis of the 'modern novel' does stem from don quixote. it was the first *prose* fiction piece. if you read it in the original you will find where he lapses back to the traditional poetic format rather than having it as a straight prose piece. shades%mit-oz@mit-mc.arpa