The Cambridge Companion to Don DeLillo / Edition 1

by John N. Duvall

Overview

With the publication of his seminal novel White Noise, Don DeLillo was elevated into the pantheon of great American writers. His novels are admired and studied for their narrative technique, political themes, and their prophetic commentary on the cultural crises affecting contemporary America. In an age dominated by the image, DeLillo's fiction encourages the reader to think historically about such matters as the Cold War, the assassination of President Kennedy, threats to the environment, and terrorism. This Companion charts the shape of DeLillo's career, his relation to twentieth-century aesthetics, and his major themes. It also provides in-depth assessments of his best-known novels, White Noise, Libra, and Underworld, which have become required reading not only for students of American literature, but for all interested in the history and the future of American culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521690898
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	05/29/2008
Series:	Cambridge Companions to Literature
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	218
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

John Duvall is Professor of English and American Studies at Purdue University, Indiana.

Table of Contents

Chronology; Introduction: The power of history and the persistence of mystery John N. Duvall; Part I. Aesthetic and Cultural Influences: 1. DeLillo and modernism Philip Nel; 2. DeLillo, postmodernism, postmodernity Peter Knight; Part II. Early Fiction: 3. DeLillo and media culture Peter Boxall; 4. DeLillo's apocalyptic satire Joseph Dewey; 5. DeLillo and the political thriller Tim Engles; Part III. Major Novels: 6. White Noise Stacey Olster; 7. Libra Jeremy Green; 8. Underworld Patrick O'Donnell; Part IV. Themes and Issues: 9. DeLillo and masculinity Ruth Helyer; 10. DeLillo's Dedealian artists Mark Osteen; 11. DeLillo and the power of language David Cowart; 12. DeLillo and mystery John McClure; Conclusion: Writing amid the ruins: 9/11 and Cosmopolis Joseph Conte; Select bibliography; Guides to further reading; Index.

Editorial Reviews

'The Cambridge Companion to Don DeLillo is particularly strong in providing a detailed and well structured insight into his work against the background of post-modern theory and American contemporary experience.' Maribor International Review

From the Publisher