The Tunnel

Dorothy M. Richardson’s The Tunnel is a fiction first published in 1919. At its center are human motives, relationships, conflict, and the consequences of choice, developed through the conventions and freedoms of fiction. As part of a series, the book also contributes to a larger imaginative or narrative design while retaining its own identity. The book’s distinctive character comes from a character-centered narrative style that rewards attention to voice, structure, and perspective. At roughly 94,529 words with a fairly easy reading profile, it offers a reading commitment that is easy to judge before beginning while still leaving room for close attention. Readers still return to it because of its capacity to make unfamiliar lives and difficult choices emotionally legible. Its strongest appeal lies in the meeting of human motives and character-centered narrative style, giving the book both immediate character and lasting interest. The book invites attention not only to what happens or what is argued, but also to the choices of emphasis, pacing, and perspective that shape interpretation.