Thomas McGuane Criticism
Thomas McGuane, born in 1939, is a celebrated American novelist, screenwriter, and essayist known for his astute examination of American culture and masculinity. His body of work offers a penetrating critique of American materialism and cultural decline, often focusing on characters in crisis who seek identity or strive to reconnect with lost traditions. McGuane's novels are distinguished by their eccentric characters and sharp, cutting prose, which some have compared to Ernest Hemingway, though McGuane himself dismisses such parallels. Jerome Klinkowitz observes that McGuane adapts traditional themes to contemporary contexts, establishing him as a novelist of manners.
His early works, such as The Sporting Club, The Bushwhacked Piano, and Ninety-Two in the Shade, are set in the Florida Keys and showcase his unique hallucinatory prose and comic-romantic vision. This approach is explored in In Pursuit of Crazy Language. As McGuane transitioned to later works like Nobody's Angel and Keep the Change, his focus shifted towards the American West and environmental concerns, themes of personal and ecological renewal examined in Thomas McGuane: Nature, Environmentalism, and the American West.
Although some critics point to repetitiveness in his later works, such as Nothing But Blue Skies, McGuane remains recognized for his compelling characterizations and the humor and intelligence they bring. His engagement with Hollywood as a screenwriter further complements his literary work, as he adeptly navigates and satirizes the influence of mass culture on American life. His contributions are critical to the dialogue about American identity and the redefinition of the Western genre, as noted by Gregory L. Morris.
A consistent theme in McGuane’s writing is the exploration of America’s cultural decline, or "a declining snivelization," where he dissects the disruption of traditional values. This is particularly evident in his early novels, which Donald R. Katz notes resonate with the disenchantment of the late 1960s and 1970s. McGuane's style, an amalgam of satire and stark realism, captures the complex realities of American life.
In Panama, McGuane explores a more personal narrative style, portraying a protagonist's descent into despair within a traditional love story framework. This shift has been described by Philip Caputo as a humorous yet honest evolution in McGuane's work. Gary L. Fisketjon and Susan Lardner further elaborate on the novel's complex characters and existential themes. Despite critiques like those from Richard Elman, who suggests its narrative might be better suited to film, McGuane offers a significant commentary on American cultural and personal disillusionment.
Contents
- Principal Works
- McGuane, Thomas (Vol. 3)
- McGuane, Thomas (Vol. 7)
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McGuane, Thomas (Vol. 18)
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Mad Eyes of Love
(summary)
In the following essay, Philip Caputo argues that McGuane's novel Panama marks a departure from his earlier, more artful style by offering a personal, autobiographical narrative filled with raw honesty, capturing the protagonist's descent into despair while maintaining a traditional love story framework.
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Fiction Roundup: 'Teen Angel'
(summary)
In the following essay, Richard Elman critiques Thomas McGuane's novel "Panama" for its meandering narrative, setting in a seedy Key West, and ultimately suggests that its chaotic prose might be better suited for film adaptation than traditional literary reception.
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Holes in the Head
(summary)
In the following essay, Gary L. Fisketjon contends that Thomas McGuane's novel Panama represents a mature evolution of the author's work, blending humor and honesty, and shifting from satire to a more personal and empathetic narrative, while exploring themes of fame and individual contribution to cultural heritage.
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McGuane Again
(summary)
In the following essay, Susan Lardner analyzes the complex character of Pomeroy in Thomas McGuane's "Panama," drawing parallels with previous McGuane protagonists, discussing the prose's distinct style, and examining themes such as familial relationships, existential uncertainty, and the performative nature of life.
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Thomas McGuane: Heroes in 'Hotcakesland'
(summary)
In the following essay, Donald R. Katz critiques Thomas McGuane's early novels, arguing that they encapsulate the disenchantment and rebellion of the late 1960s and early 1970s, presenting protagonists who, amid a decayed American ethos, pursue lost ideals and confront existential madness.
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Mad Eyes of Love
(summary)
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McGuane, Thomas (Vol. 127)
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Interview with Thomas McGuane
(summary)
In the following interview, McGuane, in conversation with Bonetti, reflects on his dual life as a Montana rancher and writer, discussing the evolution of his novels which often explore the themes of rootlessness and the American dream, while critiquing the impact of academia on writers and expressing the challenges of sustaining a literary career.
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A Conversation with Thomas McGuane
(summary)
In the following interview, McGuane and Lear explore the metaphysical themes in McGuane's fiction, highlighting the symbolic use of wild animals to represent apocalyptic threats, and discussing the author's fascination with comic literature, personal transformation through writing, and the complexities of literary camaraderie.
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Thomas McGuane: The Novel of Manners Radicalized
(summary)
In the following essay, Klinkowitz discusses McGuane's fiction as 'the new American novel of manners.' He maintains that McGuane has the ability to single out the characteristics of an age and know his characters through them.
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In Pursuit of Crazy Language
(summary)
In the following interview, McGuane and Klinger discuss McGuane's experiences as a screenwriter in Hollywood and his preference for maintaining his writing career from Montana, highlighting his distinctive narrative style, the challenges of the film industry, and his thoughts on the artistic value of vivid language in storytelling.
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A Literary Quilt of Faded Colors
(summary)
In the following review, Larsen criticizes McGuane's novel Keep the Change, calling it a "half-hearted work," of "tossed-together leftovers."
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Tom McGuane
(summary)
In the following essay, McGuane talks about his writing career, his novel Keep the Change, and life on his Montana ranch.
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How Ambivalence Won the West: Thomas McGuane and the Fiction of the New West
(summary)
In the following essay, Morris praises McGuane as one of a number of regional fiction writers of 'the new West.'
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Midlife Misery in Cow Country
(summary)
In the following review of Nothing But Blue Skies, Knickerbocker praises McGuane's characterizations, stating "The strength of McGuane's characters is the compassion they elicit."
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Get Real
(summary)
In the following review of Nothing But Blue Skies, Kittredge praises McGuane's ability to evoke the pathos of the disappearing natural landscape of the American West.
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McGuane Mellows
(summary)
In the following essay, Streitfield discusses McGuane's current lifestyle on his Montana ranch with his wife and children, contrasting it with his long-time reputation as a drinker and womanizer.
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Cornering the Market
(summary)
In the following review, Adams gives Nothing But Blue Skies an unfavorable review, saying its similarity to McGuane's previous stories renders it unmemorable.
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Thomas McGuane Speaks
(summary)
In the following interview, Thomas McGuane with Deborah Houy explores McGuane's environmental activism and his belief in the "green" movement as a quasi-religious entity that transcends class and economic boundaries, positioning it as a counter to spiritual bankruptcy and excessive materialism in contemporary society.
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The Spirit of the American West
(summary)
In the following favorable review of Nothing But Blue Skies, McNamee describes McGuane's novel as "a well-considered study of a man confronting mid-life crisis, and, in the end, overcoming it by sheer force of will."
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Thomas McGuane: Nature, Environmentalism, and the American West
(summary)
In the following essay, Ingram discusses environmentalist themes in McGuane's fiction, stating "In McGuane's writings, nature gives an opportunity for his male protagonists to attempt to recover a sense of original purity and mastery beyond the compromises and power struggles of a competitive society."
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'Unextended Selves' and 'Unformed Visions': Roman Catholicism in Thomas McGuane's Novels
(summary)
In the following essay, McClintock discusses Roman Catholic spirituality themes in McGuane's novels, particularly in Panama and Nobody's Angel.
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Interview with Thomas McGuane
(summary)
- Further Reading