William T. Vollmann Criticism
William T. Vollmann, an acclaimed American novelist, short story writer, and memoirist, is regarded as one of the most innovative authors of his generation. His works blend investigative journalism, historical research, and metafictional techniques, drawing comparisons to literary figures like Tom Wolfe and Thomas Pynchon. Vollmann's prose is celebrated for its beauty and insight into marginalized aspects of modern life, such as the experiences of the Mujahedeen rebels, neo-Nazi skinheads, and prostitutes. However, critics also highlight his tendency toward dense, sprawling narratives that sometimes lack structure, and debate the implications of his fascination with marginalized groups.
Born in Santa Monica, California, Vollmann pursued education at prominent institutions including Deep Springs College and the University of California-Berkeley. Notably, his immersive research methods have placed him in dangerous situations, including smoking crack cocaine to gain insight into the lives of San Francisco's sex workers and aiding the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan. Beyond writing, Vollmann has worked as a computer programmer and founded CoTangent Press, producing unique "artist's" editions.
Vollmann's major works include the cyberpunk novel You Bright and Risen Angels, a satire on politics and technology, and The Rainbow Stories, a collection exploring lives in society's "dark corners." His ambitious "Seven Dreams" series, beginning with The Ice-Shirt, seeks to chronicle a symbolic history of North America, interweaving myth and history. This series, along with works like Fathers and Crows and The Rifles, showcase Vollmann's extensive research and multilayered narratives.
Critics commend Vollmann's literary ambition, eloquent prose, and unique perspective. His work often attempts to foster understanding of overlooked communities, though some view his idealism as naive. While his narrative structure is sometimes critiqued for its lack of cohesion, Vollmann's prodigious output and the power of his prose are widely acknowledged. As noted by Madison Smartt Bell, Vollmann's influence on future writers could be profound, offering new freedoms akin to those found by Faulkner in Joyce's work.
Contents
- Principal Works
-
Essays
-
Tune In, Turn On, Short Out
(summary)
In the following generally positive review, Pool assesses the strengths and weaknesses of You Bright and Risen Angels. In his inventive first novel, William T. Vollmann has given us fiction for the electronic age: a social and political satire that critiques America in technological terms, a computer cartoon that is both a product of technology and a comment on it.
-
The Yawp of Reason
(summary)
In the following review, Eder praises the wide range of themes and styles in The Rainbow Stories.
-
Skinheads, Punks and Dropouts
(summary)
In the following review of The Rainbow Stories, Clute criticizes Vollmann for the cluttered, "overwritten" quality of the work, claiming that it obscures the merits of many of the stories.
-
California Screaming
(summary)
In the following mixed review of The Rainbow Stories, James compares Vollmann's literary technique and ambitions to those of Tom Wolfe and Thomas Pynchon, arguing that the stories in this collection belong somewhere in between the former's reportorial style and the latter's 'fabulism.'
-
Symbolic History
(summary)
In the review below, Richler offers praise for The Ice-Shirt, the first of seven planned novels in William T. Vollmann's 'symbolic history' of North America, a strange fusion of Norse myth and legend dealing with the arrival of the first colonists and their encounters with the native Indian and Inuit peoples. The book is illustrated by sketches and maps the author made during his researches there and is based on various sources including the Greenlandic and Icelandic sagas.
-
From the Folks Who Brought Us Winter
(summary)
In the following review of The Ice-Shirt, Sacks praises Vollmann's imagination, use of myth, and prose style, but argues that the novel fails to reach narrative closure.
-
Deeds and Dreams: Visiting the World of the Norse Adventurers
(summary)
In the following review, Dudar criticizes Vollmann for the lack of character development and narrative focus in The Ice-Shirt.
-
The Ice-Shirt Cometh
(summary)
In the following review, Bock describes The Ice-Shirt as a "near-masterpiece." He discusses William Vollmann's prolific writing and his ambitious project, a seven-volume "Symbolic History" of North America, of which The Ice-Shirt is the first volume. The novel explores the journey of two stepsisters to Vinland, blending myth and history, and includes Vollmann as a character recounting his experiences.
-
New American Gothic
(summary)
In the following review, Hawthorne commends the surreal nature of Thirteen Stories and Thirteen Epitaphs.
-
The Strange Case of William Vollmann
(summary)
In the following essay, Hooper favorably reviews Whores for Gloria and discusses Vollmann's approach to literature.
-
William T. Vollmann
(summary)
In the following excerpt, based on an interview with Vollmann, Coffey discusses Vollmann's works to date and the author's approach to writing and publishing.
-
The Grail at the End of the Pass
(summary)
In the following largely positive review of An Afghanistan Picture Show, McGowan argues that the power of Vollmann's writing—which here concerns his trip to Soviet-occupied Afghanistan in the early 1980s—is partially blunted by his failure to address certain crucial underlying assumptions and motivations.
-
A Tale of Two Saints
(summary)
In the following review of Fathers and Crows, he extols Vollmann's ability to imbue historical writing with human poignancy.
-
Send Stronger Americans
(summary)
In the following negative review of An Afghanistan Picture Show, she argues that Vollmann's attempt to help the mujahedeen, the Afghan rebels who fought the Soviet army, was more foolhardy than the subsequent examination of his naïveté, unpreparedness, and impotence can justify. She also suggests that Vollmann's honesty is ultimately self-serving and egotistical.
-
William Vollmann: An Artist in the American Grain
(summary)
In the following review of Fathers and Crows and An Afghanistan Picture Show, he discusses Vollmann's life and career and calls him "the most prodigiously talented and historically important American novelist under 35."
-
Fire and Ice
(summary)
In the following review, Ulin, an editor and poet, offers a favorable assessment of Fathers and Crows.
-
When the Bears Turned into Frenchmen
(summary)
In the following review, Thornton claims that the bulk of historical background material Vollmann includes in Fathers and Crows dilutes much of the novel's power.
-
Along the Stream of Time
(summary)
In the following review of Fathers and Crows, Korn concludes that, despite certain problems, "the narrative grips."
-
Thirteen Stories and Thirteen Epitaphs
(summary)
In the following review of Thirteen Stories and Thirteen Epitaphs, Bush, a novelist, discusses the uneven quality of Vollmann's literary technique.
-
An interview in The Review of Contemporary Fiction
(summary)
In the following interview, William T. Vollmann and Larry McCaffery explore Vollmann's literary career, his fascination with exotic experiences and transformation, and the influences on his "dream novels," highlighting Vollmann's belief in metamorphosis as a central human endeavor and his method of immersing himself in extreme environments to enrich his writing.
-
'That Most Honest Form of Love'
(summary)
In the following review of Butterfly Stories, Ryman, a novelist, praises Vollmann for his frequently beautiful writing, but faults him for being manipulative and at times disingenuous.
-
William T. Vollmann
(summary)
In the following essay, Bell discusses Vollmann's life and career, focusing on his often dangerous methods of research into street life, prostitution, and war.
-
Captain Subzero and the Lost Expedition
(summary)
In the following review of The Rifles, he admires and appreciates Vollmann's ability to convey massive amounts of useful information, but faults his narrative method as hasty, ungainly, and ultimately hubristic in its ambitions.
-
Northern Exposure
(summary)
In the following review, Ulin claims that in The Rifles Vollmann does not fully develop his themes or his characters.
-
Dream Factory
(summary)
In the following review of Butterfly Stories, he praises Vollmann's evocation of the main character's perspective and states of mind, arguing that, though the plot at times "strains credulity," the poignancy and dreamlike quality of the narration imbue the novel with credibility and authenticity.
-
Bad Art, Good Entertainment
(summary)
In the following review, Krist remarks unfavorably on Butterfly Stories, arguing that Vollmann's overarching cynicism and contempt for the protagonist is unrelieved by brief moments of beautiful writing.
-
Tune In, Turn On, Short Out
(summary)
- Further Reading