Featuring 37 essays by distinguished literary scholars, A Companion to the American Novel provides a comprehensive single-volume treatment of the development of the novel in the United States from the late 18th century to the present day.
Represents the most comprehensive single-volume introduction to this popular literary form currently available
Features 37 contributions from a wide range of distinguished literary scholars
Includes essays on topics and genres, historical overviews, and key individual works, including The Scarlet Letter, Moby Dick, The Great Gatsby, Beloved, and many more.
About the Author
Alfred Bendixen is Professor of English at Texas A & M University, and Founder and Executive Director of the American Literature Association. His books include Haunted Women (1985), an edition of the composite novel, The Whole Family (1986), The Amber Gods and Other Stories by Harriet Prescott Spofford (1989), Edith Wharton: New Critical Essays (1992), A Companion to the American Short Story (co-edited with James Nagel, Wiley-Blackwell, 2010), and The Cambridge Companion to American Travel Writing (co-edited with Judith Hamera, 2009).
Features
A comprehensive treatment of the development of the novel in the United States from 1780 to the present day.
Provides a historical overview, paying special attention to the interaction of cultural forces and aesthetic principles.
Illuminates the themes and techniques of an exceptionally broad range of genres, including the Gothic, science fiction, and detective writing.
Offers original interpretations of individual novels, drawing on the latest scholarship.
Includes remarks on the nature of the American novel by a wide range of writers, both living and dead.
