Routledge Lolita in Peyton Place: Highbrow, Middlebrow, and LowBrow Novels of the 1950s (Studies in American Popular History and Culture)

First published in 1995. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company. Review "Ruth Wood take an engaging subject and writes about it with wit, clarity, and utter originality. In revisiting the grand novels of the fifties with such intellegence and affection, she introduces us once again to our country--and to ourselves. This is splendid book." -- Carolyn See, Professor of English, UCLA "What a pleasure it is to read Ruth Pirsig Wood's scholarly and sprightly discussion of fiction's three brows--low, middle, and high--during the Fifties. Bringing to the table both innovative criticism and a sharp wit, Wood urges us to reconsider our preconceived notions about literary labels. Never again will we consider From Here to Eternity or Forever Amber in our tired, unenlightened ways. Lolita in Peyton Place is a forever valuable addition to any reader's library." -- Ruth Coughlin, author of Grieving: A Love Story "Ruth Pirsig Wood has produced that rarest of oxymorons: a scintillating scholarly study. Her clear-eyed, original analyses of 1950's fiction blows the dust off the jacket of the usual academic fussiness and snobbery, penetrating to the heart of the impulse that leads writers to write and readers to read. Lolita in Peyton Place provides sharp insight into American culture at mid-century, but even more, it leads one to approach any modern novel with a greater awareness of context, sturcture and meaning. A remarkably concise and objective study." -- Michael Dorris, author of Crown of Columbus and The Broken Cord "A provocative book...Many faculty and students will find this work useful." -- Choice