‘Dreiser’s way:’ A modern take on the writer’s legacy

Abstract

The review argues that the coauthored monograph addresses a major gap in modern studies of American literature. I. Morozova managed to bring together an international team of scholars, including specialists in Dreiser’s oeuvre. The book features several modern schools of thought. Dreiser’s image as a critic of American society is revised to highlight his portrayal of racial domination, segregation, and the ‘black’ and ‘white’ essence in his novels. The poetics of Dreiser’s prose is analyzed from the viewpoints of feminist criticism and urbanist poetics. The comparative approach allows for an accurate depiction of the uniquely American version of dandyism and helps to explain how the plot and imagery of An American Tragedy transcend various media. A study of the history of Dreiser’s publications in the USSR and a post-Soviet Russia shows the creation and subsequent dismantling of the Soviet ‘Dreiser’s canon.’ The book closes with two new translations.