A History of American Literature

This is a massive book, over 800 pages of text. I bought it because although I have read a fair amount of American literature there are a lot of gaps in my knowledge. In particular I had an interest in twentieth century poetry and also I was curious to know what a fresh look at literature could tell me about the development of the USA as a country over the last two hundred years. I am not an academic and have not studied literature in an academic setting since I left school. Gray it seems to me adopts a narrative approach. His reading is immense and when he approaches an author his primary objective seems to be, what did they have to say. One or two themes: literature in the nineteenth century often seems to be about the wilderness, the embrace of the wilderness, exploring it. In the twentieth century there's a certain loss of meaning, an experience of alienation. The taming of the wilderness, the arise of the cities and railroads leaves Americans searching their souls for meaning. Especially the poets of the early century like Eliot, William Carlos Williams, Wallace Stevens etc. I'm sure some readers will feel aggrieved that some authors have been skimped, but really I can't think of anyone he's left out. A major achievement. Very unstuffy, and more than readable.

A very easily read book. Gives a very detailed, interesting and sensible insight. A monumental work covering not only purely literary theoretical points, but as well cultural and historical guidelines. One gets a feeling that the author has spent his entrie life on writing of this work.

Wow! This is one massive reference book. Mr. Gray, the author, traces American lit from pre-Columbian and colonial days to the start of the 21st century, and he does justice to almost the whole range of our diverse and multicultural literatures. And yes, that's literatures, plural, as the author so ably demonstrates the case to actually be. Not only does he thoroughly and concisely cover the "canon" of mainstream lit, but he looks at "alternative" voices throughout American history; he gives a fair overview of the literature of minorities and the dispossessed, of the immigrants and the regionalists, of genres and sub-genres, of the forgotten and the neglected (sometimes justly forgotten and neglected, sometimes not). The result can be overwhelming, but this book is always accessible, easily read, and endlessly fascinating. My only quibble is one the author addresses and apologizes for in his introduction: That some readers may feel that their favorite authors have been given short shrift. In my case, I'm peeved that Stephen Vincent Benet is mentioned only parenthetically. Also, Donald Barthelme -- no favorite of mine -- is referred to in the index (but not in the text) as "David" Barthelme. But those are indeed small quibbles, and this volume deserves five stars. It needs to be on every English major's bookshelf.