Davis, Robert Murray

Steinbeck : a collection of critical essays ( Book )
6 editions published in 1972 in English and held by 1,972 libraries worldwide

The novel: modern essays in criticism by Robert Murray Davis ( Book )
3 editions published between 1968 and 1969 in English and held by 985 libraries worldwide

Evelyn Waugh, writer by Robert Murray Davis ( Book )
8 editions published between 1981 and 1985 in English and Undetermined and held by 950 libraries worldwide

Playing cowboys : low culture and high art in the western by Robert Murray Davis ( Book )
6 editions published between 1991 and 1994 in English and held by 798 libraries worldwide
In Playing Cowboys, Robert Murray Davis examines the Western hero--a principal image of American manhood since publication of The Virginian--as portrayed by a variety of post-World War II novelists and filmmakers. Innovative artists have used the Western to discuss issues of ethics and aesthetics, but its greatest impact may have been on popular cultural values. Davis shows that the Western is not primarily about escape or violence, but, at its best, is about development. The would-be hero adopts the existing role only to find it inadequate, and, forced to "reimagine" himself, he defines the Western hero anew. At the core of this process is strength--not power over others, but courage to go beyond the established boundaries. Although women do appear in the Western (often as proponents of "civilization"), it is fundamentally a man's world, offering an important view of male identity. Focusing on The Virginian, chapter 1 explores the origin of the Western hero and the source of the genre's major plots and issues. Chapter 2 evaluates history, myth, and the relative reality of the two in the works of Oakley Hall. Citing the novels of Richard Brautigan, E. L. Doctorow, John Hawkes, and Michael Ondaatje, chapter 3 compares the Western and the gothic novel, focusing on the concept of space. These works portray the West as a wasteland devoid of any vitality, but chapter 4 takes up science fiction Westerns (including works by John Jakes, John Boyd, and Robert Sheckley) that use the Western frontier to ironic and liberating effect. Chapter 5, on the motion picture Blazing Saddles and the postmodern Western novels of Ishmael Reed and Alvin Greenberg, examines the role-playing by which identity is created. And in his Preface, Introduction, and Epilogue, Davis frames these discussions with personal observations on the West and its relation to the American masculine mystique. For those interested in Western movies or novels, popular culture, gender studies, or literary criticism, Playing Cowboys is a unique and indispensable guide to the territory from here to the sunset.

Brideshead revisited : the past redeemed by Robert Murray Davis ( Book )
6 editions published in 1990 in English and held by 757 libraries worldwide
Provides in-depth analysis of the literary work Brideshead Revisited, as well as its importance and critical reception. Includes a chronology of the life and works of the author.

Evelyn Waugh: a checklist of primary and secondary material ( Book )
5 editions published in 1972 in English and held by 489 libraries worldwide

A lower-middle-class education by Robert Murray Davis ( Book )
4 editions published in 1996 in English and held by 380 libraries worldwide
The title of the book, Davis explains, is a description, not a value judgment. Compared to a middle-class education, which is "supposed to help you maintain status so that you can understand what your family is saying," a lower-middle-class education is "supposed to improve your status so that your family will not understand what you are saying." When Davis left his hometown in rural Missouri and arrived in Kansas City to attend Rockhurst College, he had yet to see television or the New York Times or a foreign film. The college aimed to mold such impressionable young men into upstanding Catholic laymen, but Davis's increasing interests in girls, jazz, and writing took him down a path less traditional than the one the college had in mind.

Evelyn Waugh and the forms of his time by Robert Murray Davis ( Book )
5 editions published in 1989 in English and held by 369 libraries worldwide

Donald Barthelme : a comprehensive bibliography and annotated secondary checklist by Jerome Klinkowitz ( Book )
7 editions published in 1977 in English and held by 358 libraries worldwide

Evelyn Waugh, apprentice : the early writings, 1910-1927 by Evelyn Waugh ( Book )
4 editions published in 1985 in English and held by 318 libraries worldwide