The Cambridge Companion to Postmodern American Fiction

by Paula Geyh (Editor)

Few previous periods in the history of American literature could rival the richness of the postmodern era - the diversity of its authors, the complexity of its ideas and visions, and the multiplicity of its subjects and forms. This volume offers an authoritative, comprehensive, and accessible guide to the American fiction of this remarkable period. It traces the development of postmodern American fiction over the past half-century and explores its key aesthetic, cultural, and political contexts. It examines its principal styles and genres, from the early experiments with metafiction to the most recent developments, such as the graphic novel and digital fiction, and offers concise, compelling readings of many of its major works. An indispensable resource for students, scholars, and the general reader, the Companion both highlights the extraordinary achievements of postmodern American fiction and provides illuminating critical frameworks for understanding it.

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 24, 2017

Reviews

[José Manuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bien, me lo leí para hacerme una lista y guía de lecturas

[Kerstin Tuttle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite of the Cambridge Companions, but nonetheless a useful and easily navigable guide. The brief chronology provided at the beginning of the book is quite helpful, though I would have appreciated greater explicit commentary on its construction (particularly from the authors of chapters 1 and 2 regarding precursors and periodization). Chapter 5, "History and Fiction" offers an accessible yet nuanced discussion of historiographic metafiction; perfect for undergraduate students. Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 also appear to me strong choices for an undergraduate literature course.