Literature & Literary Studies
Understanding John Updike
by Frederic Svoboda
Description
The winner of every major American literary prize, John Updike (1932–2009) was one of the most popular and prolific novelists of his time and a major cultural figure who traced the high point and fall of midcentury American self-confidence and energy. In Understanding John Updike, Frederic Svoboda elucidates the author’s deep insights into the second half of the twentieth century as seen through the lives of ordinary men and women. He offers extended, close readings of Updike’s most significant works of fiction, templates through which his entire oeuvre may be understood. Understanding John Updike will give both new readers and those already familiar with the author a firm grasp of his literary achievement. This outline of Updike’s professional career highlights his importance in the life of the nation—not only as a novelist but also as a gifted essayist, reviewer, cultural critic, and poet.
More Information
Reviews
“Frederic Svoboda brings a fresh perspective to Updike studies… This volume may be introductory, but there are insights here to delight even the most sophisticated Updike readers.”—James Plath, Illinois Wesleyan University and president, the John Updike Society
Author Biography
Frederic Svoboda is a professor and former chair of the English Department and director of the Graduate Program in American Culture at the University of Michigan–Flint. He is the author or editor of several books.
The University of South Carolina Press
Established in 1944, the University of South Carolina Press is one of the oldest and most distinguished publishing houses in the South. With well over 1,000 books available in print and digital formats, and publishing approximately fifty new books annually, the Press enhances and expands the scholarly reputation and worldwide visibility of the University of South Carolina.In helping the University fulfill its mission of research and teaching and outreach, the Press publishes a wide range of critically acclaimed works in the following subjects: Southern History, African American Studies, Civil Rights, and South Carolina. In addition, the Press publishes long-running scholarly series in Literary Studies and Rhetoric/Communication. Our editorial profile aligns with several of the institutional strengths of the University and underscores the Press’s mission to serve teachers and learners and readers in the academy and the broader culture, both in North America and around the globe.
View all titlesBibliographic Information
- Publisher University of South Carolina Press
- Publication Date April 2018
- ISBN/Identifier 9781611178623 / 1611178623
- Publication Country or regionUnited States
- FormatHardback
- Primary Price 39.99 USD
- Pages136
- Publish StatusPublished
- EditionFirst
- Copyright Year2018
- Dimensions9X6 inches
- SeriesUnderstanding Contemporary American Literature
