Form and Fable in American Fiction

Download or read book Form and Fable in American Fiction written by Daniel Hoffman and published by University of Virginia Press. This book was released on 1994 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Combining the disciplines of folklore and literary criticism in his perceptive readings of works by Irving, Hawthorne, Melville, and Mark Twain, Daniel Hoffman demonstrates how these authors transformed materials from both high and popular culture, from their European past and their American present, in works that helped to form our national consciousness. In his new preface, Hoffman describes the evolution of his critical method and suggests the book's value for contemporary readers.