Frank Norris and American Naturalism

Frank Norris is a seminal figure in the history of American literary naturalism despite the brevity of his career. Frank Norris and American Naturalism brings together in one volume Donald Pizers lifelong exploration of the naturalists work, ranging from his 1955 discussion of point of view in The Octopus to his 2010 essay on the thematic unity of that novel. The essays in Frank Norris and American Naturalism as a whole seek to demonstrate both the coherence of Norriss thought and his contribution toward the establishment of a specific form of naturalism in America. The collections principal focus is Norriss most enduring works, the novels McTeague and The Octopus, though his other fiction and literary criticism are also discussed.