Learning To Be American: Richard Ford's Frank Bascombe Triology and the Construction of a National Identity

Few contemporary novelists have analysed American culture with the detail that Richard Ford has done in his trilogy on Frank Bascombe: 'The Sportswriter', 'Independence Day' and 'The Lay of the Land'. A triptych on the idiosyncrasies of American society set out by one of the nation's most meticulous storytellers. This book ventures into uncharted territory, revealing how the uniquely American flavour of Frank Bascombe's novels also emerges from peculiar settings and marginal characters, who...