American literature, American fiction, American novel, contemporary fiction, Classic fiction
At the risk of stubbing my toe against a cliché, let me tell you to never judge a book by its cover. I wish I could brag that I follow that edict to the word, but I know that there are many books in my library that are there for their covers alone. The...
Whoever killed the woman had cut her body in half, at the waist, and dumped her naked on the corner of 39th and Norton. Two imperfect homicide detectives pulled the case. Frank Crotty was more concern with the motel he was opening with Chinese investors. “You think I’m going to lose any sleep over...
Since war has played a significant role in shaping human society, war novels play a significant role in world literature. The first literature of the western world, the Homeric epic poem The Iliad, narrates an episode in the Trojan War. It focuses on the plight of one Greek soldier, Achilles, who feels his honor...
Jack Duluoz, Jack Kerouac's fictional alter-ego in Big Sur, felt the need to get away from it all for a few weeks of solitude. A successful writer, whose book The Road had inspired the Beaknik movement, Jack found himself hounded by fans who both misunderstand his writing and envision him to be the persona...
Jake Barnes likes to watch! Or perhaps he doesn't like it as much he finds it is his role in life. Whether watching world affairs as a newsman, enjoying a good bullfight, or witnessing the drama played out by his friends as they contend for the affections of the wayward Lady Ashley—Jake finds himself...
What to do when a writer dies before completing his novel? No doubt this is a question that editors and publishers must face more often than they wish. Since writers tend to write their entire lives, until their deaths, most leave uncompleted manuscripts. Do you publish what’s there? Hire a ghost writer to finish...
Imagine a world where women say only what men want to hear, where they work to fulfill a man’s every whim, and where they reach their, um…sexual satisfaction with the ease of turning on a light switch–this is the world Harold Robbins created in The Betsy. If the female-marketed Harlequin romances have a counterpart...
A woman dies. After her death, her family—her husband, four sons, and one daughter—must transport her body forty miles to Jefferson to bury her. In this day of high-speed automobiles and paved highways, this tragic but mundane duty sounds easy and quick. It could be done in an hour. But As I Lay Dying...
Everyone is reading The Great Gatsby now! Kobo had announced that sales of this novel has increased by 250% worldwide. Amazon has been selling its Kindle edition for $4.99, and at that price, it has been their best seller for over a hundred days. Though Barnes and Noble has not met that price for...
When the alarm sounds, the firemen rush to the firetruck and race across town to the given address. No house is on fire. No one is suffering a heart attack. There isn’t even a cat stuck in a tree. In this dystopian American of the future, firemen do not put out fires; they start...
