South Carolina Books

Understanding May Sarton is a comprehensive study of the poetry, fiction, and memoirs of May Sarton, a pioneering feminist whose literary works were underappreciated during her lifetime. Author Mark Fulk explores Sarton's writing as speaking to both genders and all sexual orientations, not just female or lesbian readers, and delves in a literary analysis of the true spirit of Sarton's intent. Covering all of Sarton's work, from her initial poetry celebrating women's sexuality to her coming-out novel and her final novel and volume of poetry about the advancing onset of age. Recommended for American literature, feminism, and women's studies reading lists, Understanding May Sarton is a superb reference and resource.

Fred Misurella takes Milan Kundera and makes him accessible.

Not that Milan Kundera is incomprehensible, it is just that there are so many twists and turns sometimes a little help is all we need. Misurella is good at noting the parabatic asides and is excellent at zeroing in on some of the key themes that Kundera explores. His read on "The Joke" is so comprehensive, it is almost a must to have this book with you like dictionary.

His reading of "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" is really interesting. Taking the approach form a Oedipus angle, Misurella misses some of the subtle Nietzsche and Tolstoy angles that Kundera includes. "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" is full of references to "The Eternal Return" and "Anna Karenina" that it is impossible to miss - and Misurella misses this by placing the Oedipus read at the center.

If you read "Understanding Milan Kundera" along side Maria Nemcova Banerjee's "Terminal Paradoxes" and John O'Brian's "Milan Kundera & feminism : dangerous intersections" then you will get a greater appreciation for the complexity of Kundera's work.

If you use the book as a reader, then you will have taken advantage of the book already. However, Misurella does an ending with "The Art of the Novel" that brings Kundera's work together very nicely. It is impossible to even try to do a comprehensive piece of Kundera as the body of work is so huge and complex. Misurella does a wonderful job of taking such a complex subject and making is accessible for folks like me. I recommend it highly along with the other books above. I'm sure Kundera would agree.

Miguel Llora

What a great read. This book truly let's you into the psyche of Baker. Reads sort of like a bio in many ways. Definetly a must read for Baker fans.

No hay otro libro donde uno puede entender la mentalidad de Weiss, un dramaturgo que a través de sus obras nos muestra documentos de guerras. El teatro documento, es una forma de mostrar esa realidad que muchos vivieron y otros no, denunciando los horrores de la guerra, moviendo la conciencia social mundial para que se conozcan estos crimenes, que hasta el día de hoy siguen y seguirán sucediendo.

Alan Astro has done a magnificent job of reading Beckett's oeuvre. His analysis is acute and sometimes brilliant: I have never read a better piece on _Endgame_, and Astro's take on _Watt_ is incredible. There is no contemporary critic who has dealt with the primacy of the signifier in Beckett's work the way that Alan Astro has, is, and will continue (we hope) to do. His contribution to scholarship and performance cannot be overstated.

A definitive interpretation of the major plays that covers the characters, structure, and language of the plays, this work is especially impressive for its insights into Williams' poetic language. It explains clearly the imagery of the language, its rhythms and diction, as well as the visual dramatic effects that made Williams an innovator in his day. If you like the plays, buy the book! You'll love it.

This is a wonderful book to read if you enjoy Le Guin's fiction. It's useful to readers and academics alike because Cummins has split the book into four sections that study the settings for Le Guin's stories. There is a section for the Hainish Universe, another for her works set on the future-West Coast of America, one for the Earthsea books and so on and so forth.

Reading a book structured like this is a delight because Cummins has tied in themes and concerns of Le Guin's work with her fictional settings. It reads like a detailed and complex unofficial Ursula Le Guin handbook, with many references to the tao te ching and other philosophical pre-occupations, but is easy to read and simply ~*fascinating*~.

Understanding William H. Gass by poet and author H. L. Hix is a very thoughtful, informative, scholarly guide to the novels, short stories, novellas, and essays of William H. Gass, an American writer and philosopher with a keen grasp of ethical dilemmas and the lasting effects of childhood "hurts." A scholarly and meticulous discourse on the work of a very intelligent and expressive author, Understanding William H. Gass is very highly recommended for academic Literary Criticism and Philosophy collections, as well as "must" reading for students of the life and work of William H. Gass.

De Forest describes his experiences as a Freedmen's Bureau agent during Reconstruction in Greenville, SC. Not only is his story very engaging, but he provides a unique look into the turmoils of reconstruction, why it failed, and the real people that existed at the time. Although De Forest does regard the South as defeated and backwards, he maintains a fairly balanced outlook despite his status. De Forest is very good at describing the decay of the Old South and the birth of the modern southern US. Overall, an excellent work.

This book was very helpful to read on the way to our campus visit. Though everything in this book cannot be taken as "everyone's opinion" it is great to have an inside view from various students on their thoughts. We did not see the girl/guy ranking as the book had noted... the students we saw on campus seemed like a great mix of beauty as well as ethnicity. However - we were able to have a lot of "inside knowledge" before even stepping foot on the campus - this enhanced the visit a lot. The information about Honors College also helped. This book is highly recommended if you are seriously considering this school. We LOVED University of South Carolina and is in the top tier of choices.