From Puritanism to Postmodernism

Widely acknowledged as a contemporary classic that has introduced thousands of readers to American literature, From Puritanism to Postmodernism: A History of American Literature brilliantly charts the fascinating story of American literature from the Puritan legacy to the advent of postmodernism.

From realism and romanticism to modernism and postmodernism, it examines and reflects on the work of a rich panoply of writers, including Poe, Melville, Fitzgerald, Pound, Wallace Stevens, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Thomas Pynchon.

Characterised throughout by a vibrant and engaging style, it is a superb introduction to American literature, placing it thoughtfully in its rich social, ideological, and historical context.

A tour de force of both literary and historical writing, this Routledge Classics edition includes a new preface by co-author Richard Ruland, a new foreword by Linda Wagner-Martin, and a fascinating interview with Richard Ruland, in which he reflects on the nature of American fiction and his collaboration with Malcolm Bradbury. It is published here for the first time.