Peter Freese Livres

The unique career of Kurt Vonnegut (1922 - 2007), America's first major writer to emerge from the paperback industry, spanned over half a century, establishing him as a key figure in post-World War II American literature. His works, from 'Player Piano' (1952), a dystopian vision of tyranny through technology, to 'Timequake' (1997), which blends fiction and autobiography, include fourteen notable novels. Among these, 'Slaughterhouse-Five' (1969) stands out as a groundbreaking classic. This study begins by tracing Vonnegut's evolution from an overlooked writer to an international sensation, alongside a history of the mixed reception of his work. It highlights his unique style, which combines a naïve tone appealing to general readers with innovative metafictional techniques that engage literary connoisseurs. A dedicated chapter analyzes all fourteen novels, detailing their critical reception and interconnections through recurring characters, settings, themes, and motifs. This comprehensive reading synthesizes textual analysis and previous scholarship, presenting each novel as a distinct piece of literary art. Ultimately, the study affirms Vonnegut's significance as a major voice in post-World War II American fiction.

Die Bedeutung des 'amerikanischen Traums' für die ganze Welt - im positiven wie im negativen Sinne - wird hier vor dem Hintergrund der kulturellen, politischen und wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung der USA anhand von Texten aufgezeigt, deren Themen von den ersten Einwanderern bis zur Wahl A. Schwarzeneggers zum kalifornischen Gouverneur reichen. Informationen zum Lehrwerk - Themenhefte für den Einsatz in Grund- und Leistungskursen der gymnasialen Oberstufe. Die bewährten Viewfinder Topics für die gymnasiale Oberstufe in erweiterter und neu gestalteter Form. Zahlreiche zusätzliche Texte, Bilder und Info Boxes führen die erörterten Themen bis in die unmittelbare Gegenwart fort. Die Texte und die vielfältigen Zusätze und Erläuterungen werden durch ein neues Layout enger zusammengerückt und in noch ansprechenderer Optik präsentiert. Anmerkungen und Aufgaben folgen.

Fascinating insights into the characteristic aspects of a city of contradictions. The collection features works by renowned authors (Cheever, Malamud, Purdy) alongside pieces from lesser-known contemporary writers and poems by Whitman, Hughes, and others.

The papers collected in this volume were presented at a conference on „The Journey of Life“ which took place at Paderborn University in October 2013. They focus on a perennially recurring archetype of the human imagination which, for obvious reasons, is especially influential in the U. S. The articles offer exemplary insights into the manifestations and functions of the 'journey of life' concept in both American life and literature. Some contributions deal with 'real' journeys ranging from the westward travels of pioneer women physicians in the nineteenth century through Jack London's 'journeys of life' to the attempts at tinkering with the human journey of life in the age of biotechnology. Other contributions present a taxonomy of journey types in American fiction, and they analyze literary journeys from the omnipresent journeys in Thomas Pynchon's novels and the post-apocalyptic journey in Cormac McCarthy's 'The Road' through the journey plot in Robert Kirkman's serial comic 'The Walking Dead' and the various kinds of journeys in Western films to the journeys of initiation in Sherman Alexie's 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' and José Antonio Villarréal's 'Pocho'.