The novels of William Styron

by Gavin Cologne-Brookes

In The Novels of William Styron, Gavin Cologne-Brookes presents the first comprehensive study of William Styron's work. Using the concept of narrative evolution, he illumines not only Styron's novels but also an entire genre. Drawing on the theories of Mikhail Bakhtin and Georg Lukacs, Cologne-Brookes acknowledges previous Styron criticism - with its emphasis on Freudian, existentialist, and southern concerns - but offers new perspectives on Styron's importance. He considers Styron not so much a southern writer as one whose influences include southern roots. Critically incisive and entirely convincing, The Novels of William Styron will prove to be an essential book for Styron scholars, students of his work, and anyone with an interest in contemporary writing. In arguing that this important novelist's work becomes more significant as it becomes more historically involved, Cologne-Brookes also addresses the vital questions of where, when, and how the novel form is important.