The Novels of Kurt Vonnegut: Imagining Being an American (Contributions to the Study of Science Fiction & Fantasy)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.62 (790 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0313319146 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 232 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2016-11-16 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
This book is the first scholarly study to discuss all of Vonnegut's novels against the background of his other writing, events of the 20th century, and the vast array of Vonnegut scholarship. In many respects he most closely resembles Mark Twain not only in being a highly ethical novelist, but also in his use of comedy. His books serve a remarkable range of purposes: social commentary, theological discussion, ethical argument, parody, satire, and prophecy. His novels reflect the major traumatic public and private events that have gone into imagining being an American during that century, including the Great Depression, World War II, the Bomb, Vietnam, the weakening of social institutions, the vicissitudes of marriage and family, divorce, growing old, experiencing loss, and anticipating death.The book presents a clear, well-argued view of Vonnegut's work within the context of American literature and history. Like a majority of American writers, Vonnegut is a moralistic novelist but one who employs humor to drive home his ethical points. Vonnegut belongs to what Emerson called the party of hope but hope clearly restricted to this world. In his novels he speaks eloquently and succinctly for his generation of Americansthe central generation of 20th-century Americansthus making h
All collections; all levels."-Choice"Morse has done a fine job of casting light on this defining aspect of Vonnegut's work."-Utopian Studies"Discusses Vonnegut's position as an American pragmatist whose work reflects the power and dignity of the individual and the unfinished evolution of the United States."-Brief Mention"ÝD¨iscusses Vonnegut's position as an American pragmatist whose work reflects the power and dignity of the individual and the unfinished evolution of the United States."-Brief Mention?Morse has done a fine job of casting light on this defining aspect of Vonnegut's work.?-Utopian Studies?Discusses Vonnegut's position as an American pragmatist whose work reflects the power and dignity of the individual and the unfinished evolution of the United States.?-Brief Mention?Morse intends this study of Vonnegut's peculiarly American i
Imagine I have known Prof. Donald Morse since my first year as a student at Oakland University in 1968. We still communicate regularly some 37 years later. My view of his work is not unbiased. He is a remarkable scholar. In "Imagining Being an American", Prof. Morse brings his literary focus to the works of Kurt Vonnegut. He shows us the evolution of Vonnegut's ideology, and art, and casts him persuasively in the mold of the great sat. doomsdayer5"Imagining Reading a Book" according to doomsdayer520. Academic literary criticism is a worthwhile endeavor, at least in some environments, but you have to wonder for whom these practitioners are really writing, and for what purpose. This review may give the impression that I think all literary criticism is useless, but that's not the case. I read this work by Morse voluntarily in the course of research on Kurt Vonnegut. However, this particular book illustrates the absolute worst. 0 said Imagining Reading a Book. Academic literary criticism is a worthwhile endeavor, at least in some environments, but you have to wonder for whom these practitioners are really writing, and for what purpose. This review may give the impression that I think all literary criticism is useless, but that's not the case. I read this work by Morse voluntarily in the course of research on Kurt Vonnegut. However, this particular book illustrates the absolute worst
He is the author of numerous articles on Vonnegut and his previous books include The Fantastic in World Literature and the Arts (1987), More Real than Reality: The Fantastic in Irish Literature and the Arts (1991), and The Celebration of the Fantastic (1992), all available from Greenwood Press.. MORSE is Visiting Professor of American, Irish, and English Literature at th