"Academics dismiss Stephen King as a genre writer who appeals to the masses but lacks literary merit. This critical analysis of King's novel The Stand makes a case for King as a literary writer with careful consideration of the abstract themes,...
more
"Academics dismiss Stephen King as a genre writer who appeals to the masses but lacks literary merit. This critical analysis of King's novel The Stand makes a case for King as a literary writer with careful consideration of the abstract themes, characters, setting, and text revealing how King's work brims with the literary techniques"--Provided by publisher Includes bibliographical references and index Many academics dismiss Stephen King as a mere genre writer, an over-glorified bestseller who appeals to the masses, but lacks literary merit. This critical analysis of King's epic novel The Stand makes a case for the horror master as a literary writer. A careful consideration of The Stand's abstract themes, characters, setting, and text reveals how King's work brims with the literary techniques that critics expect of a serious writer and the haunting questions that mark enduring literature. A thoughtful deliberation on so-called "escapist" fiction in the world of literature as well a
Cover; Table of Contents; Acknowledgments; Preface; Introduction; Literature; Horror; King Criticism; A Defense of Escapism; The Stand; The Tolkien Connection; 1. The Set-Up; Small-Town America; The Military; 99.4 Percent Communicability; The Media; 2. The Players; Ordinary People Can Make a Difference; Small-Town Maine; American Nice Guy; A Pawn in the Hands of Providence; Human Nature; The Sanctity of Innocence; Intellect Gone Awry; The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy; For Every Villain a Right-Hand Man; Evil Always Undoes Itself; In the Hands of a Demanding God; American Evil; 3. The Big Picture
Good vs. EvilThe Problem of Choice; The Stand; The Right to Govern; Hope vs. Despair; 4. The Nitty Gritty; Writing Style; Genre Choice; Popular Appeal; 5. The Dark Tower Connections; Some New American Heroes; Lady of Shadows; The Boy; Not in Kansas Anymore; 6. All God's Chillun' Should Stand; "The Body"; IT; The Losers' Club; IT's Minions; "You Can't Be Careful on a Skateboard"; Grown-Ups Are the Real Monsters; American Horrors; Dreamcatcher; Horror Lives Everywhere Every Day; Last Stand; Final Thoughts; Chapter Notes; Bibliography; Index;
