The Anti-Hero in the American Novel From Joseph Heller to Kurt Vonnegut [Paperback]

The Anti-Hero in the American Novel rereads major texts of the 1960s to offer an innovative re-evaluation of a set of canonical novels that moves beyond entrenched post-modern and post-structural interpretations towards an appraisal which emphasizes the specifically humanist and idealist elements of these works.The Rebel with a Cause? The Anti-heroic figure in American Fiction of the 1960s Individualism and the Anti-Capitalist, Anti-heroic Figure in American Fiction of the 1960s The Outlaw Returns: The Cowboy in American Fiction of the 1960s Sinner or Saint? The Anti-hero as Christ Figure in the American Novel of the 1960s

'Meticulously researched, lucidly argued, and accessible at all times, The Anti-Hero in the American Novel is a welcome addition to studies of the anti-hero in 1960s American fiction. Simmons offers a textual and contextual analysis of a range of countercultural novels, some already well known and others unjustly neglected that will appeal to students, scholars, and anyone with an interest in American literature.' Chris Gair, Birmingham University, UK and author of The American Counterculture

'Simmons offers a welcome new perspective on the anti-hero in 1960s American culture. His book qualifies conventional post-structuralist readings of this important phenomenon and presents a lucid, informed thesis that is both original and convincing.' Paul McDonald, Senior Lecturer in American Literature and Coordinator of the Creative and Professional Writing Program, University of Wolverhampton, UK

David Simmons is Senior Lecturer in English and Screen Studies at the University of Northampton, UK.