The Novels of William Styron: From Harmony to History (Southern Literary Studies)

The Novels of William Styron, Gavin Cologne-Brookes presents a comprehensive study of William Styron's work by drawing on theories of Mikhail Bakhtin and Georg Lukacs, 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 as a southern writer as one whose influences include southern roots, and argues that this novelist's work becomes more significant as it becomes more historically involved. He also addresses the vital questions of where, when, and how the novel form is important.