Facing the Abyss: American Literature and Culture in the 1940s

In this account of how U.S. literature and culture reacted to the crises of the 1940s, Hutchinson, an English professor at Cornell University, overreaches. Had Hutchinson focused even more narrowly on the literature, where his strength clearly lies, the book would have benefitted. Hutchinson is on firmest ground when closely reading the texts—Robert Penn Warren’s All the King’s Men, Ann Petry’s Country Place, Richard Wright’s Native Son, and so on—that he considers pivotal examples of cultural trends. The definition of culture, in this context, is fuzzy, however, and Hutchinson’s forays into other art forms, such as music and painting, are incomplete. The book begins by touching on an impressive array of general topics—the role of publishers such as Bennett Cerf and James Laughlin, the rise of New Criticism, the impact of WWII on writers and writing—and then veers into chapters about literature by and about marginalized groups. This section, however, fragments the study even as Hutchinson tries to create a cohesive, linked picture. For those who wish to begin exploring the literature of this tumultuous period, Hutchinson’s study might well be a good introduction, but for a wider perspective on the true breadth of American culture during the ’40s, one should look further afield. (Jan.)