1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910818498103321

Autore

Schreier Benjamin

Titolo

The power of negative thinking : cynicism and the history of modern American literature / / Benjamin Schreier

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Charlottesville, : University of Virginia Press, 2009

ISBN

1-280-48988-X

9786613585110

0-8139-2820-6

Edizione

[1st ed.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (257 p.)

Disciplina

810.9/353

Soggetti

American literature - 20th century - History and criticism

Cynicism in literature

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

America and its discontents -- Cynicism and the criticism of competence -- Henry Adams and the failure of usefulness -- Willa Cather's illegible historicism -- The great Gatsby's betrayed Americanism -- Miss Lonelyhearts' insincere theodicy -- Afterword: Invisible literature.

Sommario/riassunto

Schreier's close reading and his vigorous theoretical examination of analytical first principles combine to make a book that is valuable not only to the study of methodology but to the scrutiny of the very assumptions the humanities bring to the exploration of the way we think.