The American Novel Since 1945 with Professor Amy Hungerford

In "The American Novel Since 1945" students will study a wide range of works from 1945 to the present. The course traces the formal and thematic developments of the novel in this period, focusing on the relationship between writers and readers, the conditions of publishing, innovations in the novel's form, fiction's engagement with history, and the changing place of literature in American culture. The reading list includes works by Richard Wright, Flannery O'Connor, Vladimir Nabokov, Jack Kerouac, J. D. Salinger, Thomas Pynchon, John Barth, Maxine Hong Kingston, Toni Morrison, Marilynne Robinson, Cormac McCarthy, Philip Roth and Edward P. Jones. The course concludes with a contemporary novel chosen by the students in the class.

Click session titles below to access audio, video, and course materials.

1. Introductions

2. Richard Wright, Black Boy

3. Flannery O'Connor, Wise Blood

4. Flannery O'Connor, Wise Blood (cont.)

5. Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita

6. Guest Lecture by Andrew Goldstone

7. Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita (cont.)

8. Jack Kerouac, On the Road

9. Jack Kerouac, On the Road (cont.)

10. J. D. Salinger, Franny and Zooey

11. John Barth, Lost in the Funhouse

12. Thomas Pynchon, The Crying of Lot 49

13. Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye

14. Maxine Hong Kingston, The Woman Warrior

15. Marilynne Robinson, Housekeeping

16. Marilynne Robinson, Housekeeping (cont.)

17. Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian

18. Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian (cont.)

19. Philip Roth, The Human Stain

20. Philip Roth, The Human Stain (cont.)

21. Philip Roth, The Human Stain (cont.)

22. Edward P. Jones, The Known World

23. Edward P. Jones, The Known World (cont.)

24. Students' Choice Novel: Jonathan Safran Foer, Everything is Illuminated

25. Students' Choice Novel: Jonathan Safran Foer, Everything is Illuminated (cont.)

26. Review for Final Exam

27. Final Exam