Robert J. Butler - Böcker

Richard Wright is widely recognized as one of the most important African-American writers and as a significant 20th-century author. With the publication of Native Son in 1940, Wright established his enduring reputation as a man of letters. With the immense critical success of Native Son, Wright went on to author Black Boy, The Outsider, and Eight Men. His writings reflect his experiences growing up in the poverty and racial strife of the South, and his thoughts on major social issues.This volume traces the critical reception of Wright's major works, from the publication of Native Son to the present day. An introductory chapter overviews the critical response to his writings, while two biographical chapters discuss his writings in relation to his life. Sections are then devoted to Native Son, Black Boy, and The Outsider. Each of these sections presents reviews and articles reflecting the best criticism of Wright's works. A final section, Richard Wright Today, offers contemporary assessments of Wright's reputation, as well as fascinating discussions of the recent Library of America editions of his works.

Ralph Ellison's literary career began in 1937 with the publication of his review of Waters Edward Turpin's These Low Grounds. Over the next 15 years he published 10 short stories and 37 essays on literary, cultural, and political topics. But when Invisible Man was published in 1952, Ellison received immediate acclaim from a wide variety of critics, scholars, and novelists. While his novel emerged as a major work of African American literature, it also engaged the European literary tradition and influenced an entire generation of post-World War II writers. Ellison is now one of the most studied African American writers, and the posthumous publication of his second novel, Juneteenth, in 1999 has drawn even more attention to his contribution.Through previously published reviews and essays, and original material, this book charts the response to Ellison's writings. While the bulk of the volume focuses on Invisible Man, the book also includes sections devoted to Ellison's short fiction and nonfiction, as well as posthumous estimates of his work. A chronology highlights the most important events in his life and career, while an introductory essay overviews the broad trends in Ellison scholarship. The volume concludes with a selected bibliography of primary and secondary works.