A History of American Literature - Softcover

Gray, Richard

3.95

37 ratings by Goodreads

9780631221357: A History of American Literature

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0631221352 ISBN 13: 9780631221357

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell, 2004

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This major new history of American literature from pre-Columbian times to the present is written in an informed but accessible style by one of the leading authorities in the field.

A major new one-volume history of American literature from pre-Columbian times to the present.
Extremely broad-ranging, taking in Native American, Anglo American, African American, Asian American and Hispanic American literature.
Covers oral literature, folktales, spirituals, the blues, the western, the detective story, the thriller and science fiction, as well as canonical literature.
Relates the history of American literature to American social and cultural history.
Takes account of changes in critical and theoretical debates about literature in the last 30 years.
Written by a leading international authority on American literature.

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Book Description:

This major new history of American literature from pre-Columbian times to the present is written in an informed but accessible style by one of the leading authorities in the field. While paying attention to the full range of fiction, poetry, drama and non-fiction that has been incorporated into the mainstream literary canon, it also looks at other forms, including oral literature, folktales, spirituals, the blues, the western, the detective story, the thriller, and science fiction. All this writing is placed in the context of American social and cultural history both before and after the formation of the United States. Taking account of the radical changes that have occurred in our understanding of American literature over the past 30 years, this book concentrates above all on the plural character of culture in the United States, the conflicting forces at work in its history, and the continuing acts of imagination that constitute the making of this nation.

From the Inside Flap:

First published in 2004, A History of American Literature is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed surveys of American literature from pre-Columbian times to the present available today. This widely anticipated second edition features a wealth of fresh updates and new material, including a detailed survey of the fiction, drama, and poetry written in response to 9/11 and the “war on terror.” Other additions include coverage of the cultural consequences of the new era in American politics ushered in by the election of President Obama, and the development of new literary and cultural movements such as the New Formalists.

Written in an informed and approachable style by Richard Gray, one of the leading authorities in the field, this survey helps the reader develop a deeper understanding of and insight into the immense breadth of American literary traditions within the context of American social and cultural history. While focusing on the full range of fiction, poetry, drama, and non-fiction that has been incorporated into the mainstream literary canon, Gray also considers popular American literary traditions such as oral literature, folktales, spirituals, Westerns, detective stories, thrillers, and science fiction.

Compelling and authoritative, A History of American Literature, Second Edition, continues its tradition of representing an unparalleled introduction to the full breadth and diversity of the American literary tradition.

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