A Companion to American Fiction, 1865 – 1914 (Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture Book 5) 1st Edition by Robert Paul Lamb (PDF)

Description

A Companion to American Fiction, 1865-1914 is a groundbreaking collection of essays written by leading critics for a wide audience of scholars, students, and interested general readers. An exceptionally broad-ranging and accessible Companion to the study of American fiction of the post-civil war period and the early twentieth century Brings together 29 essays by top scholars, each of which presents a synthesis of the best research and offers an original perspective Divided into sections on historical traditions and genres, contexts and themes, and major authors Covers a mixture of canonical and the non-canonical themes, authors, literatures, and critical approaches Explores innovative topics, such as ecological literature and ecocriticism, children’s literature, and the influence of Darwin on fiction

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐I received this book as a gift from my father-in-law, who is an English professor specializing in the nineteenth century. It’s taken me a while to get through it since as a high school history teacher I have little time for reading outside of my field, but the experience has been well worth it. The essays in the volume are all outstanding–well-informed, lucidly written, and clearly authoritative. What’s especially impressive is that the authors assume an intelligent audience but not necessarily one that is in their area of specialization, or even an audience of literary critics. Equally notable is that the essays are fascinating and make the reader want to know more about the subjects they address. In many cases, as in the wonderful essays on ecological narrative and nature writing, the fiction of the Civil War and Reconstruction, children’s literature, and consumer culture, I found myself both learning a great deal but also absorbed in topics I previously had little interest in. In other cases, as with the essays on literary genres, on ethnic fiction, Native American culture, urban fiction, and the single author essays, most especially the ones on William Dean Howells and Mark Twain, I felt as though everything I thought I knew was out of date. I can’t say enough about this terrific volume. It’s one from which I’ve learned a great deal, and it’s one I shall revisit many times in the future. This is a truly valuable and beautifully produced book.

⭐If I could have only one book on American fiction in the second half of the nineteenth century, this would be the book–a stunning and original collection from many of the finest scholars working in the period. The organization of the volume is terrific, with the expected types of essays as well as many innovative topics covered. The quality of the chapters is outstanding, providing a remarkable overview but, as well, original takes on the topics. The book also comes with a very usable detailed index and with individual bibliographies for further study of the period. Although the book is, as one reviewer pointed out, expensive, nevertheless you get your money’s worth since the volume is the size of four books. And the production values are excellent–a sewn binding, acid free paper, and illustrations along with small texts attached to these. This book will be read and used for a long time.

⭐This is the best overview of the period that I have yet seen. Not only does it contain very interesting, erudite, and well-written essays on the leading figures of American realism, but it also has splendid thematic chapters on issues like race, gender, the city, the short story, and regionalism. Although the price is a little daunting, the quality of this work is undeniable. The bibliographies that accompany each chapter are wonderful portals into further inquiry. Any serious student of American literature between the Civil War and WWI who seeks a cornerstone for a personal critical library could do no better than to start here. Bravo Blackwell!!

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