Reviews for American fictions, 1940-1980

The average rating for American fictions, 1940-1980 based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-06-26 00:00:00 Robert Winn [”The wittiest critic is Gore Vidal, who refers to such fiction as ‘American Plastic,’ including Barth, Barthelme, Gass, Pynchon, all of whom he considers to be deep ‘into R and D (Research and Development) as opposed to the old-fashioned R and R (Rest and Recuperation).’ Vidal’s instincts may all be to the good, but he is so intent on eliminating the kind of fiction which threatens his own that he condemns before understanding. His essay on Italo Calvino shows how he can enter into a great talent alien to his own; so that his assaults on the modern and new would seem to be focused mainly on American models. plus ça change. (363n) (hide spoiler)]

Review # 2 was written on 2015-06-26 00:00:00 Brian Morrill "It may be that the book he is most keen on here is Gaddis' The Recognitions-- which he also introduces for the Penguin edition. And he is positive on McElroy, e.g. Lookout Cartridge..." posits that "the works of John Barth, Thomas Pynchon, John Hawkes and other ‘experimental’ writers constitute our authentic ‘literature’" A book like John Barth’s Letters ‘does what literature is supposed to do, which is to probe new modes of perception,