Hicks, Tribes, and Dirty Realists: American Fiction after Postmodernism

by Robert Rebein

Robert Rebein argues that much literary fiction of the 1980s and 90s represents a triumphant, if tortured, return to questions about place and the individual that inspired the works of Hawthorne, Melville, Twain, Faulkner, and other giants of American literature. Concentrating on the realist bent and regional orientation in contemporary fiction, he discusses in detail the various names by which this fiction has been described, including literary postmodernism, minimalism, Hick Chic, Dirty Realism, ecofeminism, and more. Rebein's clearly written, nuanced interpretations of works by Raymond Carver, Cormac McCarthy, Don DeLillo, Louise Erdrich, Dorothy Allison, Barbara Kingsolver, E. Annie Proulx, Chris Offut, and others, will appeal to a wide range of readers.

Genres: Nonfiction

207 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2001

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ultimately a little disappointing, because rather than really defining the era (which admittedly would be very difficult to do, to define an era while still in it), Rebein just presents several trends in contemporary fiction. Why this is disappointing, though, is because the first several chapters seem to be leading toward something like a definition or a conclusion. Instead, halfway though, Rebein narrows his focus and begins to talk about the Western, the Latino (et al.) author, and then wraps things up (or not) with a strange and anomalous chapter on the white prison novel, which seems to have little bearing on anything. Sure, maybe these books are being written, but I've never read one, nor have I really heard the genre mentioned in criticism. It's also strange that a large part of the final chapter, "Conclusion," is devoted to extolling DeLillo's Underworld. I mean, I agree that it's a great book, but how is it appropriate to my understanding of fiction in general? Indeed, Rebein is at his best here when sticking to the point, when attempting to answer the overarching question: What comes after postmodernism? He's at his worst when delving too deep into specific works, a tendency that grows as the book progresses. I've always found this technique slightly troubling, because these specific examples are obviously going to resonate with a reader who is familiar with the book, and yet no writer can assume everyone has read everything, and what happens is we get this little watered-down summary of the book in question, and then a little critical analysis and explanation (or not) of how it relates to the overall question at hand. Too often Rebein seems to lose himself in these analyses, spending entire chapters discussing two or three specific works, and fails to really answer the question at hand.

Still, overall, I learned a ton from this nine-year-old book. It's an incredibly challenging task Rebein is undertaking here, and I think the book is a great beginning for anyone interested in fiction after postmodernism. Especially closer to the beginning it's a really interesting read. Maybe I say that because it kicks things off with a discussion of Carver. Who knows. Certainly recommended.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually the third time I've read this so I'm surprised to see that I hadn't previously written a review. Published in 2001 and 20 years on we have realized a literary mindscape that expands Rebein's themes into many more categories, so that his once expansive focus now seems too narrow for the multiplicity of voices and modes of expression that have bloomed from our blighted culture.