Book Review: Jennifer J. Smith, The American Short Story Cycle (Edinburgh, UK: Edinburgh UP, 2018, 194 p.) (original) (raw)

In this insightful study, Jennifer Smith moves from a lucid reflection on the controversial debate over the origins, characteristics and literary labels attributed to the short story cycle as a genre to explore how American cycles have contributed to articulating the problematic notion of modern subjectivity from the nineteenth century to contemporary times, in periods of cultural and ideological change. She examines texts by authors from different historical and ethnic backgrounds to illustr...