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A Reader's Guide to J. D. Salinger - by Eberhard Alsen (Hardcover)
About this item
Highlights
- Few contemporary writers are as enigmatic as J. D. Salinger.
- About the Author: EBERHARD ALSEN is Professor of English at the State University of New York, Cortland.
- 288 Pages
- Literary Criticism, American
Description
About the Book
Few contemporary writers are as enigmatic as J. D. Salinger. Best known for The Catcher in the Rye, which continues to be read and discussed by secondary school students, undergraduates, and scholars, Salinger also wrote numerous shorter works. This reference covers his entire oeuvre. Since Salinger's life figures prominently in his works, an introductory essay considers autobiographical elements in his writings and foregrounds the chapters that follow. Subsequent chapters examine each of his major works, or a collection of related writings.
Included are discussions of such topics as, critical reception, themes, narrative structure and point of view, characterization and style, settings and symbols, and interpretations of his texts. Chapters close with lists of works for further reading, and the volume concludes with several appendices and extensive primary and secondary bibliographies.
Book Synopsis
Few contemporary writers are as enigmatic as J. D. Salinger. Best known for The Catcher in the Rye, which continues to be read and discussed by secondary school students, undergraduates, and scholars, Salinger also wrote numerous shorter works. This reference covers his entire oeuvre. Since Salinger's life figures prominently in his works, an introductory essay considers autobiographical elements in his writings and foregrounds the chapters that follow. Subsequent chapters examine each of his major works, or a collection of related writings.
Included are discussions of such topics as, critical reception, themes, narrative structure and point of view, characterization and style, settings and symbols, and interpretations of his texts. Chapters close with lists of works for further reading, and the volume concludes with several appendices and extensive primary and secondary bibliographies.Review Quotes
?Alsen's excellent book is a vital resource for students, aficionados, and critics....Essential. All collections supporting study of 20th-century American literature.?-Choice
?With Alsen's book available, teachers of American Studies should see more term papers dealing with the reclusive Salinger. This book provides a solid guide.?-JASAT
"With Alsen's book available, teachers of American Studies should see more term papers dealing with the reclusive Salinger. This book provides a solid guide."-JASAT
"Alsen's excellent book is a vital resource for students, aficionados, and critics....Essential. All collections supporting study of 20th-century American literature."-Choice
About the Author
EBERHARD ALSEN is Professor of English at the State University of New York, Cortland. His previous works include Romantic Postmodernism in American Fiction (1996), along with articles in such journals as American Literature, Studies in Short Fiction, and Emerson Society Quarterly.