Understanding Hubert Selby Jr.

by James Richard Giles

The unique narrative perspective of an eloquent advocate of the urban outcast. Since the publication in 1964 of his novel Last Exit to Brooklyn, which quickly achieved the status of a cult classic, Hubert Selby Jr., has held a place as one of the foremost exponents of American underground literature. His work has yet to receive extensive critical attention, in part because of its deliberately shocking subject matter and its resistance to precise classification. In Understanding Hubert Selby Jr., James R. Giles examines the writer's four novels and one collection of short stories to make the case that the full complexity of his fiction has not previously been understood. Giles contends that Selby's writings, which are usually labeled as either "naturalistic" or "surrealistic", represent an innovative merger of both narrative modes.

Genres: Nonfiction

164 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1998

Reviews

[Tom Quinn]

Goes a long way towards contextualizing Selby (he's "the poet of male violence," haven't you heard?) and gives a few convincing reasons why that's worth a damn, but swiftly devolves into strained connections that serve more to show off the essayist's range than add any significant depth or understanding (Selby and Stephen Crane, Selby and T.S. Eliot, Selby and Holocaust Lit, etc).

Also he way overuses the word "inevitably."

3 stars. Very helpful tool when approaching Selby, an unpleasant but skillful writer.

[Teddy Bear]

Nice book