100 Great American Novels You've (Probably) Never Read

by Karl Bridges

Overview

From Elizabeth Stoddard's The Morgesons and Anzia Yzierska's The Bread Givers to Laurie Colwin's Shine On, Bright and Dangerous Object and Chet Raymo's The Dork of Cork, here are some of the forgotten gems of American literature. Bridges has compiled a diverse list of 100 American novels published between 1797 and 1997 and worthy of the title great. Although the idea is to bring light to the obscure, these titles are physically accessible to readers—either in print, or represented in library collections and available through library loan.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781591581659
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	09/30/2007
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.62(d)

About the Author

Karl Bridges is Associate Professor, Reference Librarian/Bibliographic Instructor and Coordinator of Electronic Resources, Bailey/Howe Library, Department of Information and Instruction, University of Vermont, Burlington.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction
100 Great American Novels You've (Probably) Never Read
Index

Editorial Reviews

Unlike other such lists….this collection includes novels written during the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries….Bridges takes a broad definition of American, in some cases including authors of other nationalities who lived and wrote in the United States and in others American authors living and working abroad….A useful addition to public and undergraduate library collections.” —Library Jourbanal

From the Publisher

Reference librarian Bridges (Univ. of Vermont Lib., Burlington) has compiled a unique list of lesser-known novels by American authors whose work reflects "the widest possible breadth of American writing." Unlike other such lists, including those from Nancy Pearl's "Book Lust" series (Sasquatch, 2003, 2005, 2007), this collection includes novels written during the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries (up to 1997). Bridges takes a broad definition of "American," in some cases including authors of other nationalities who lived and wrote in the United States and in others American authors living and working abroad. Each entry is approximately two pages long and includes a two- to five-sentence snippet from the book, a synopsis, Bridges's critical commentary, a brief biography of the author, a list of other works by the author, and recommendations for further reading. Entries are labeled by genre, but no explanation or definition of the genres used is given (e.g., what is the difference between military fiction and war stories?). BOTTOM LINE Although this work more closely resembles the 2006 Facts On File Companion to the American Novel (edited by Abby Werlock), it contains far fewer entries. It is a good reference companion to books like Ian Ousby's almost three-decades-old but still-in-print A Reader's Guide to Fifty American Novels, which covers more traditional American novels. A useful addition to public and undergraduate library collections.-Sarah Sutton, Texas A&M Univ. Lib., Corpus Christi

Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal