Louise Erdrich - A Critical Companion

Louise Erdrich, following in the Native American narrative tradition has, crafted enduring tales of homecomings. Her widely acclaimed debut novel Love Medicine garnered prestigious awards, and quickly made its way onto bestseller lists and into readers' hearts. In this full-length critical volume, Stookey uncovers the layers of wisdom and humor embedded in Erdrich's engaging writing. Stookey, analyzing each novel in turn, examines the characters and themes that recur in Erdrich's canon of interconnected stories. This insightful analysis helps students and lovers of fine literature approach Erdrich's work with greater appreciation for her bold narrative style.

This study begins with a fascinating biographical account, tracing early influences in Louise Erdrich's life. The subsequent chapter discusses Erdrich's place in literary tradition, as a novelist, a poet, and a storyteller. It also offers lucid analysis of how Erdrich skillfully manages to reconcile traditional and experimental approaches to the construction of her novels. A full chapter then examines each novel in terms of literary style, plot, character development, and theme. Alternate critical approaches to Erdrich's writing are also given for each of her six major works to date. A bibliography and lists of general criticism, biographical sources, and reviews complete this volume, making it an indispensable resource for any reader seeking to develop a greater understanding of Erdrich's writings.

List of contents

Series Foreword by Kathleen Gregory Klein
The Life of Louise Erdrich
Louise Erdrich's Fiction: Community and Storytelling
Love Medicine (1984, 1993)
The Beet Queen (1986)
Tracks (1988)
The Bingo Palace (1994)
Tales of Burning Love (1996)
The Antelope Wife (1998)
Bibliography
Index

About the author

LORENA L. STOOKEY is Lecturer in the English Department at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she teaches courses in mythology, poetry, and British literature. She is the author of Robin Cook: A Critical Companion (Greenwood, 1996).

Product details

• Authors: Lorena Stookey, Stookey Lorena Laura
• Publisher: Bloomsbury
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: ages 7 to 17
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 30.09.1999
• EAN: 9780313306129
• ISBN: 978-0-313-30612-9
• No. of pages: 184
• Weight: 454 g
• Illustrations: 3 bw illus
• Series: Critical Companions to Popular Contemporary Writers
• Subjects: Fiction > Poetry, drama; USA, Biography: general, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / General, LITERARY CRITICISM / American / General, LITERARY CRITICISM / Modern / 20th Century, The arts, American English, United States of America, USA, Literary studies: from c 1900 -, Literary studies: fiction, novelists & prose writers, Literary studies: fiction, novelists and prose writers, Literary studies: c 1900 to c 2000, LITERARY CRITICISM / Novel as Form