Alternative Paradigms of Literary Realism

Using the traditional genres of allegory, pastoral, and parable, this book develops alternative paradigms of literary realism with which to reexamine a group of crucial but marginalized 20th century writers who have been misread as conventional mimetic realists. This book remaps traditional genre boundaries in order to re-examine a group of crucial but marginalized twentieth-century writers who have been misread as conventional mimetic realists Front Matter....Pages i-ix Truth as a Matter of Style: Alternative Paradigms of Literary Realism....Pages 1-10 One is Never Quite Totally in the World: Jane Bowles’ Allegorical Realism....Pages 11-43 Whatever Is, Is Wrong: James Purdy’s Allegorical Realism....Pages 45-74 Some Imaginary Vienna: Ronald Firbank’s Pastoral Realism....Pages 75-94 To Create a Life Which Is Not: Henry Green’s Pastoral-Organic Realism....Pages 95-121 There’s a Providence Not so Far Away from Us: Penelope Fitzgerald’s Parablistic Realism....Pages 123-185 Back Matter....Pages 187-200