A Companion to Twentieth-Century United States Fiction (Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture)

Through a wide-ranging series of essays and relevant readings, __A Companion to Twentieth-Century United States Fiction__ presents an overview of American fiction published since the conclusion of the First World War. * Features a wide-ranging series of essays by American, British, and European specialists in a variety of literary fields * Written in an approachable and accessible style * Covers both classic literary figures and contemporary novelists * Provides extensive suggestions for further reading at the end of each essay Content: Chapter 1 U.S. Modernism (pages 9–23): Susan HegemanChapter 2 The City Novel (pages 24–35): James R. GilesChapter 3 The Western (pages 36–47): Neil CampbellChapter 4 Postmodern U.S. Fiction (pages 48–59): Hans BertensChapter 5 Modern Gothic (pages 60–71): Marilyn MichaudChapter 6 The Short Story (pages 72–83): Mark WhalanChapter 7 Southern Fiction (pages 84–95): Sharon MonteithChapter 8 Jewish American Fiction (pages 96–108): David BraunerChapter 9 “Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me”: Modern African American Fiction (pages 109–121): A. Robert LeeChapter 10 U.S. Detective Fiction (pages 122–134): Cynthia S. HamiltonChapter 11 Hard?Boiled/Noir Fiction (pages 135–146): Lee HorsleyChapter 12 Chicano Fiction (pages 147–158): Helen OakleyChapter 13 Black Humor Fiction (pages 159–170): David SeedChapter 14 Fiction on the Vietnam War (pages 171–182): Philip Melling and Subarno ChattarjiChapter 15 The Rediscovery of the Native American (pages 183–194): Joy PorterChapter 16 Trash Fiction (pages 195–206): Stacey OlsterChapter 17 Edith Wharton (pages 207–218): Pamela KnightsChapter 18 Willa Cather's Entropology: Permanence and Transmission (pages 219–228): Guy J. ReynoldsChapter 19 Gertrude Stein and Seriality (pages 229–239): Ulla HaselsteinChapter 20 Ernest Hemingway (pages 240–250): Peter MessentChapter 21 John Dos Passos (pages 251–260): Andrew Hook and David SeedChapter 22 Thomas Wolfe (pages 261–270): Anne Ricketson ZahlanChapter 23 F. Scott Fitzgerald (pages 271–281): William BlazekChapter 24 Zora Neale Hurston (pages 282–291): Lovalerie KingChapter 25 Theodore Dreiser (pages 292–301): Clare Virginia EbyChapter 26 William Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha (pages 302–312): Charles A. PeekChapter 27 H.D.'s Visionary Prose (pages 313–321): Rachel ConnorChapter 28 John Steinbeck (pages 322–331): Brian RailsbackChapter 29 Raymond Chandler (pages 332–341): Sean McCannChapter 30 Richard Wright (pages 342–351): Tara T. GreenChapter 31 Ralph Ellison (pages 352–360): Rachel FarebrotherChapter 32 James Baldwin (pages 361–368): D. Quentin MillerChapter 33 Vladimir Nabokov (pages 369–376): Barbara WyllieChapter 34 Norman Mailer (pages 377–385): Michael K. GlendayChapter 35 William S. Burroughs (pages 386–394): Davis SchneidermanChapter 36 Saul Bellow (pages 395–402): Michael AustinChapter 37 Gore Vidal (pages 403–410): Heather NeilsonChapter 38 Joseph Heller (pages 411–419): David M. CraigChapter 39 Kurt Vonnegut (pages 420–427): Jerome KlinkowitzChapter 40 Thomas Pynchon (pages 428–435): Ian CopestakeChapter 41 Ishmael Reed: American Iconoclast (pages 436–444): Darryl Dickson?CarrChapter 42 Joyce Carol Oates (pages 445–453): Gavin Cologne?BrookesChapter 43 Philip Roth (pages 454–461): Timothy ParrishChapter 44 The Fiction of John Updike: Timely and Timeless (pages 462–470): Brian KeenerChapter 45 Maxine Hong Kingston (pages 471–479): Helena GriceChapter 46 Toni Morrison (pages 480–488): Jennifer TerryChapter 47 Alice Walker (pages 489–496): Maria LauretChapter 48 Don DeLillo (pages 497–504): Mark OsteenChapter 49 Gerald Vizenor: Postindian Gamester (pages 505–513): A. Robert LeeChapter 50 Bret Easton Ellis (pages 514–521): James AnnesleyChapter 51 Amy Tan: “American Circumstances and Chinese Character” (pages 522–529): Heidi Slettedahl MacphersonChapter 52 Paul Auster: Poet of Solitude (pages 530–538): Mark BrownChapter 53 Bharati Mukherjee (pages 539–546): Judie Newman "Through a wide-ranging series of essays and readings, A Companion to Twentieth-Century United States Fiction presents an overview of fiction published in the United States since the conclusion of World War I. These thought-provoking essays cover a diverse cross-section of novelists from the period: from canonical literary figures, such as Hemingway and Faulkner, to popular contemporary fiction writers, such as Amy Tan and Alice Walker, as well as critical overviews of various literary genres, such as crime and "hard-boiled" fiction, along with coverage of the ethnic and cultural traditions that continue to permeate U.S. fiction. A Companion to Twentieth-Century United States Fiction is an accessible and invaluable entree into the fertile period that cemented America's literary reputation throughout the world."--BOOK JACKET. Read more... Content: Notes on Contributors ix Introduction 1 David Seed Part I Genres, Traditions, and Subject Areas 9 1 U.S. Modernism 11 Susan Hegeman 2 The City Novel 24 James R. Giles 3 The Western 36 Neil Campbell 4 Postmodern U.S. Fiction 48 Hans Bertens 5 Modern Gothic 60 Marilyn Michaud 6 The Short Story 72 Mark Whalan 7 Southern Fiction 84 Sharon Monteith 8 Jewish American Fiction 96 David Brauner 9 "Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me": Modern African American Fiction 109 A. Robert Lee 10 U.S. Detective Fiction 122 Cynthia S. Hamilton 11 Hard-Boiled/Noir Fiction 135 Lee Horsley 12 Chicano Fiction 147 Helen Oakley 13 Black Humor Fiction 159 David Seed 14 Fiction on the Vietnam War 171 Philip Melling and Subarno Chattarji 15 The Rediscovery of the Native American 183 Joy Porter 16 Trash Fiction 195 Stacey Olster Part II Selected Writers 207 17 Edith Wharton 209 Pamela Knights 18 Willa Cather's Entropology: Permanence and Transmission 219 Guy J. Reynolds 19 Gertrude Stein and Seriality 229 Ulla Haselstein 20 Ernest Hemingway 240 Peter Messent 21 John Dos Passos 251 Andrew Hook and David Seed 22 Thomas Wolfe 261 Anne Ricketson Zahlan 23 F. Scott Fitzgerald 271 William Blazek 24 Zora Neale Hurston 282 Lovalerie King 25 Theodore Dreiser 292 Clare Virginia Eby 26 William Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha 302 Charles A. Peek 27 H.D.'s Visionary Prose 313 Rachel Connor 28 John Steinbeck 322 Brian Railsback 29 Raymond Chandler 332 Sean McCann 30 Richard Wright 342 Tara T. Green 31 Ralph Ellison 352 Rachel Farebrother 32 James Baldwin 361 D. Quentin Miller 33 Vladimir Nabokov 369 Barbara Wyllie 34 Norman Mailer 377 Michael K. Glenday 35 William S. Burroughs 386 Davis Schneiderman 36 Saul Bellow 395 Michael Austin 37 Gore Vidal 403 Heather Neilson 38 Joseph Heller 411 David M. Craig 39 Kurt Vonnegut 420 Jerome Klinkowitz 40 Thomas Pynchon 428 Ian Copestake 41 Ishmael Reed: American Iconoclast 436 Darryl Dickson-Carr 42 Joyce Carol Oates 445 Gavin Cologne-Brookes 43 Philip Roth 454 Timothy Parrish 44 The Fiction of John Updike: Timely and Timeless 462 Brian Keener 45 Maxine Hong Kingston 471 Helena Grice 46 Toni Morrison 480 Jennifer Terry 47 Alice Walker 489 Maria Lauret 48 Don DeLillo 497 Mark Osteen 49 Gerald Vizenor: Postindian Gamester 505 A. Robert Lee 50 Bret Easton Ellis 514 James Annesley 51 Amy Tan: "American Circumstances and Chinese Character" 522 Heidi Slettedahl Macpherson 52 Paul Auster: Poet of Solitude 530 Mark Brown 53 Bharati Mukherjee 539 Judie Newman Index 547 Abstract: Features a wide-ranging series of essays by American, British, and European specialists in a variety of literary fields Written in an approachable and accessible style Covers both classic literary figures and contemporary novelists Provides extensive suggestions for further reading at the end of each essay. Read more...