|
"Named as one of the best young American novelists by Granta in 1996, Stewart O'Nan has become known for his eye for detail and adept use of diverse literary genres. He is the author of sixteen novels, several books of nonfiction, a screenplay, and two short story collections, and his writings have been translated into many languages. And yet, despite his critical success and being a highly visible presence on the literary scene, O'Nan's work has received only limited scholarly attention. In Understanding Stewart O'Nan, Heike Paul, a scholar of American studies, presents the first comprehensive scholarly appraisal of O'Nan's works. Through close readings of O'Nan's novels and other works, Paul reveals what she considers the author's most profound literary invention--the everyday gothic--as well as his use of genre, American cultural mythologies, and literary care work (through his close attention to the everydayness of his characters' lives) to create a unique and dynamic literary style. The book opens with a brief biographical sketch and an analysis of O'Nan's early explorations of the everyday gothic, American mythology, and literary care work in his first novel, Snow Angels. In subsequent chapters, Paul tracks the development of these tropes through novels that she classifies as noir-western, gothic horror, prison novels, social realism, 'habits of the heart', and the Hollywood novel, as well as his short stories (including collaborations with Stephen King) and nonfiction. An original interview with the author concludes the book, providing readers with another essential layer of understanding Stewart O'Nan"--
|
