The Social Impact of the Novel: A Reference Guide

(Hardback)

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Description

The novel has proven to be the premier literary form in the exploration of social ideas and protest. This reference guide is unique in providing concise information on 200 landmark novels and their impacts on society throughout history and around the world. The social issues of geographically organized countries are first plotted on a timeline. Each country's novels are then presented chronologically through lucid essays relating the works to their historical contexts and tracing their impact since publication. With an extensive section covering the rich historical tradition of the novel in North America, illuminating essays show how works such as The Grapes of Wrath, Uncle Tom's Cabin, and The Jungle protested specific conditions and evoked tangible changes in American policies and laws. This volume surveys works written in or translated into English from 30 different countries throughout the world, including Senegal's So Long a Letter, Australia's coonardo, and the Chinese novel waves, which attacked Communism and its cultural revolution. Readers will discover fresh insights into familiar European works, such as the plight of poor middle-class women in Jane Eyre, and the exposure of socialist threat to individualism in Animal Farm and A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. Teachers using literature for interdisciplinary studies will find this guide helpful in identifying and researching essential works of world literature. Organization of information into four indexes, all keyed to entry numbers, facilitate easy access to specific titles, authors, geography, and issues. This guide can be used to research the development of both contemporary and historical social concerns in specific areas or to compare and contrast the treatment of issues such as feminism in the literature of different cultures. Further suggested readings are provided for each novel, along with a general appendix, Additional Protest Novels to Explore.

Reviews

.,."useful to those interested in a global perspective on the social novel, particularly considering the paucity of works that include novels not originally in English. Its scope and range make it ideal for collection development in this oft-neglected area....Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries."-Reference & User Services Quarterly
.,."very useful as a starting point for English or social studies teachers."-Library Media Connection
...useful to those interested in a global perspective on the social novel, particularly considering the paucity of works that include novels not originally in English. Its scope and range make it ideal for collection development in this oft-neglected area....Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries.-Reference & User Services Quarterly
...very useful as a starting point for English or social studies teachers.-Library Media Connection
Arranged by region and country, the book includes time lines followed by well-written and knowledgeable summaries of each novel and its impact....Recommended for public and undergraduate libraries.-Choice
Browsing thorugh this unique reference book, one is struck by the impact that literature has had upon many countries throughout the world... This book is not to be considered the only source a student will need for a report analyzing the impact of a novel, but it certainly is worth consulting as an additonal source for a juicy comment, an additional point of view or a good addition to a growing bibliography. Its world coverage makes it a fascinating reference for an English teacher. Recommended for all high schools.-Gale-Reference Reviews
This is a useful new reference tool for researching the development of social concerns in specific areas via literature or for comparing the treatment of specific issues in the literature of different cultures. Recommended for public, high-school, and academic libraries.-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
..."useful to those interested in a global perspective on the social novel, particularly considering the paucity of works that include novels not originally in English. Its scope and range make it ideal for collection development in this oft-neglected area....Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries."-Reference & User Services Quarterly
..."very useful as a starting point for English or social studies teachers."-Library Media Connection
"Arranged by region and country, the book includes time lines followed by well-written and knowledgeable summaries of each novel and its impact....Recommended for public and undergraduate libraries."-Choice
"This is a useful new reference tool for researching the development of social concerns in specific areas via literature or for comparing the treatment of specific issues in the literature of different cultures. Recommended for public, high-school, and academic libraries."-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
"Browsing thorugh this unique reference book, one is struck by the impact that literature has had upon many countries throughout the world... This book is not to be considered the only source a student will need for a report analyzing the impact of a novel, but it certainly is worth consulting as an additonal source for a juicy comment, an additional point of view or a good addition to a growing bibliography. Its world coverage makes it a fascinating reference for an English teacher. Recommended for all high schools."-Gale-Reference Reviews

Author Bio

CLAUDIA DURST JOHNSON, former chairperson of English at the University of Alabama, is currently a freelance scholar and writer in Berkeley, California. VERNON JOHNSON, a graduate of Vanderbilt University, has wide experience as author, theater director, and professor of world literature.