A list-serv I am on came up with an interesting question.
Does anyone out there have a good answer for this?
will be teaching a historical, aesthetic survey of the American novel in the fall. Would list members have any ideas for critical texts that might accompany the novels that I will use? I’m thinking of non-fiction works that survey the field, like Fiedler’s Love and Death in the American Novel or The American Novel and Its Tradition by Richard Chase; however, these two, as examples, are a bit dated and have their own problems. Something like From Puritanism to Postmodernism by Ruland and Bradbury would be ideal, but it covers all literature. I’m preferably looking for something that only considers the American novel. Thanks for any thoughts from colleagues.
If yall have any ideas, I’ll put them up on the list.
I might ask my colleagues at my colleges too. I think it is an interesting question.