Reading the novels of John Williams : a flaw of light / Mark Asquith.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Asquith, Mark, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Williams, John, 1922-1994--Criticism and interpretation.

Williams, John.

Williams, John, 1922-1994.

Criticism and interpretation.

Genre:

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Physical Description:

vii, 181 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Maryland : Lexington Books, [2018]

Summary:

John Williams, as the New Yorker noted recently, was the author of "the greatest American novel you've never heard of" He died in obscurity but has enjoyed a literary renaissance following recent reissues of his major novels Butcher's Crossing, Augustus, and Stoner. With films of both Butcher's Crossing and Stoner in pre-production, it is clear that Williams's star is ascending. Reading the Novels of John Williams: A Flaw of Light is designed to offer a critical introduction to his writing. It is developed through solid scholarly research, but structured and written in a clear and direct style that makes it accessible for academics, students, and general readers alike. It offers clear sense of the novelist's early life and work and includes an evaluation of his academic career (he was a professor at the University of Denver) and neglected poetry. The bulk of this book is comprised of readings of the three major novels, identifying the key themes, exploring the literary and cultural context, and surveying contemporary critical reception, while simultaneously offering an appreciation of Williams's idiosyncratic modernity. Few authors have written such diverse works, yet they are united in exploring the ways in which youthful hopes and our sense of identity are shaped by life's accidents. How we make life meaningful, learn to love another human being, and confront failure-these are the well points of Williams's understated tragedies. Unfortunately, such meditations are rarely fashionable, but neither are they I ever unfashionable. George Orwell observed that the only true critic is time: this study makes it clear that Williams's time has come. Book jacket.

Contents:

Butcher's crossing

Stoner

Augustus.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Asquith, Mark, author. Reading the novels of John Williams

ISBN:

9781498545426

1498545424

OCLC:

1005686266