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The American Short Story Handbook

Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The American Short Story Handbook by James Nagel offers a concise yet comprehensive exploration of the American short story. It provides an historical overview, tracing the genre from Benjamin Franklin's 1747 The Speech of Miss Polly Baker through to contemporary works like The Joy Luck Club. The book highlights influential authors such as Washington Irving, Sarah Orne Jewett, Stephen Crane, Jamaica Kincaid, and Tim O'Brien, emphasising how their works expanded the boundaries of short fiction.

The handbook also examines the role of American oral storytelling traditions in shaping the genre, delivering insights in accessible and engaging prose. It includes a glossary of literary terms and a bibliography for further study, making it an invaluable resource for understanding this vibrant literary form.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$8599
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for students and readers interested in American literature and the development of short fiction. Its clear language and comprehensive coverage make it especially suited for those studying literary history or seeking to deepen their appreciation of the short story.

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This is a concise yet comprehensive treatment of the American short story that includes an historical overview of the topic as well as discussion of notable American authors and individual stories, from Benjamin Franklin s The Speech of Miss Polly Baker in 1747 to The Joy Luck Club .

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

This is a concise yet comprehensive treatment of the American short story that includes an historical overview of the topic as well as discussion of notable American authors and individual stories, from Benjamin Franklin’s “The Speech of Miss Polly Baker” in 1747 to The Joy Luck Club.

The American Short Story Handbook includes a selection of writers chosen not only for their contributions of individual stories but for bodies of work that advanced the boundaries of short fiction, including Washington Irving, Sarah Orne Jewett, Stephen Crane, Jamaica Kincaid, and Tim O’Brien.

It addresses the ways in which American oral storytelling and other narrative traditions were integral to the formation and flourishing of the short story genre.

Written in accessible and engaging prose for students at all levels by a renowned literary scholar, the book illuminates an important genre that has received short shrift in scholarly literature of the last century.

The book also includes a glossary defining the most common terms used in literary history and in critical discussions of fiction, along with a bibliography of works for further study.

Series: Wiley Blackwell Literature Handbooks

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  • The American Short Story Handbook
    This is a concise yet comprehensive treatment of the American short story that includes a historical overview of the topic, as well as discussion of notable American authors and individual stories, from Benjamin Franklin’s “The Speech of Miss Polly Baker” in 1747 to The Joy Luck Club. The American Short Story Handbook includes a selection of writers chosen not only...
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  • The American Short Story Handbook
    This is a concise yet comprehensive treatment of the American short story that includes an historical overview of the topic as well as discussion of notable American authors and individual stories, from Benjamin Franklin’s “The Speech of Miss Polly Baker” in 1747 to The Joy Luck Club. The American Short Story Handbook includes a selection of writers chosen not only...
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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780470655429

Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 20 February 2015

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Wiley-Blackwell

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 150.0mm

Height: 226.0mm

Weight: 408g

Pages: 336

About the Author

James Nagel is the Eidson Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Georgia and a Visiting Scholar at Dartmouth College, USA. He is President of the Society for the Study of the American Short Story and Former President of the International Ernest Hemingway Society. Early in his career he founded the scholarly journal Studies in American Fiction and the widely influential series Critical Essays on American Literature, which published 156 volumes of scholarship. Among his twenty-three books are Stephen Crane and Literary Impressionism (1980), Hemingway in Love and War (1989, which was made into a Hollywood film starring Sandra Bullock), The Contemporary American Short-Story Cycle (2001), Anthology of The American Short Story (2007), The Blackwell Companion to the American Short Story (Wiley Blackwell, 2010), and Race and Culture in Stories of New Orleans (2014). He has been a Fulbright Professor as well as a Rockefeller Fellow. He has published some eighty articles in the field and lectured on American literature in fifteen countries.

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  • The American Short Story Handbook
    This is a concise yet comprehensive treatment of the American short story that includes a historical overview of the topic, as well as discussion of notable American authors and individual stories, from Benjamin Franklin’s “The Speech of Miss Polly Baker” in 1747 to The Joy Luck Club. The American Short Story Handbook includes a selection of writers chosen not only...
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