Description
Book SynopsisThis book considers the cultures of suburbia in English Canadian fiction published from the 1960s to 2019. Exploring works of various Canadian authors, Cowdy argues there is no one authentic definition of a Canadian suburban imaginary but multiple, at times contradictory, representations that disrupt the dominant cultural discourse of homogeneity.
Trade Review“Canadian Suburban makes a significant contribution to recent scholarship on often-denigrated but complex urban peripheries, arguing for the role of the humanities in the field of suburban studies. Clearly written and highly readable, this book will be of interest to scholars in any discipline who work on the built environment, as well as literary studies and Canadian studies. The suburbs, which compose such a large proportion of the constructed environment, appear to be entering scholarly and popular discourses with increasing frequency. Like other parts of the city, the suburbs are undergoing continuous change, not only in their physical fabric but also in how they are experienced and understood.” H-Environment
“A compelling account of Canadian writers' resistance to the suburbs that flourished after WW II.” Choice
“Cheryl Cowdy’s study of the fiction of Canadian suburbia invites us to re-evaluate our assumptions about the influence of place on identity and community. Cowdy’s adjustment of the boundaries of literary history to accommodate a new category of fiction is compelling.” *Canadian Literature *
"Canadian Suburban … should encourage social scientists to pay more attention to fiction as a means of understanding urban places, while conveniently offering a useful reading list and many interpretative suggestions. In an era of disciplinary and subdisciplinary specialization, Canadian Suburban bridges academic solitudes. You could say that it occupies a liminal space.” Canadian Geographic
