Still in Print: The Southern Novel Today

Abstract

The book review by Tanfer Emin Tunç examines Still in Print: The Southern Novel Today, edited by Jan Norby Gretlund, which advocates for preserving contemporary Southern novels in print. The central argument highlights that many Southern novels, despite their literary merit, have short shelf lives and are often overlooked. Eighteen scholars—both American and European experts on classic Southern literature—contribute essays emphasizing the importance of sustaining attention to these works. Tunç evaluates the book’s premise as bold, praising its structured approach in categorizing the novels into four thematic sections: 'A Sense of History,' 'A Sense of Place,' 'A Sense of Humor,' and 'Sense of Malaise.' These themes explore Southern identity through race, gender, landscape, humor, and societal unease. The review also notes the transnational perspective brought by European contributors, broadening the scope beyond American scholarship. Theoretically rooted in literary criticism and cultural studies, the book suggests a comparative lens between canonical texts and contemporary works. Ultimately, Tunç underscores the collection’s mission to extend the life of overlooked Southern novels while serving as both a scholarly resource and a call to action for readers, publishers, and critics.

(The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)