American Fictions
American Fictions by Elizabeth Hardwick, published by Modern Library in 1999, is a collection of essays that explores the landscape of American literature over the past century. This edition spans 352 pages and is presented in English. Hardwick’s work highlights the contributions of notable writers such as Melville, Wharton, and James, while also delving into the fictions of influential figures like Margaret Fuller, Sylvia Plath, and Norman Mailer.
Readers will find a rich examination of literary criticism, particularly focusing on the role of women in fiction, both as authors and characters. Hardwick’s essays serve as insightful portraits of America’s greatest writers, often reflecting her personal connections with them, including friendships with Mary McCarthy and Katherine Anne Porter. This collection not only showcases her sharp and elegant writing style but also positions her essays as significant contributions to the field of literary criticism.
Official synopsis Publisher
“Just as Edwin Denby, Clement Greenburg, and Pauline Kael transformed the nature of criticism in the fields of dance, art, and film, respectively, Hardwick has redefined the possibilities of the literary essay.”
—The New Yorker
A brilliant tour of a century American writers, from the novels of Melville, Wharton and James to the fictions of Margaret Fuller, Sylvia Plath and Norman Mailer. Twenty-five years ago, Elizabeth Hardwick’s now classic essay “Seduction and Betrayal” helped pioneer the study of women in fiction, both as writers and as characters. American Fictions gathers fro the first time Hardwick’s portraits of America’s greatest writers. Many of these pieces double as individual reminiscences about close friends, including Mary McCarthy, Katherine Anne Porter and Edmund Wilson. Hardwick has achieved a permanent place in American letters for her sharp and elegant style. Her essays are themselves a work of literature.
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