Understanding Hubert Selby, Jr.

Since the publication in 1964 of his novel LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN, which quickly became a cult classic, Hubert Selby, Jr., has held a place as one of the foremost exponents of American underground literature. In this study, James Giles examines the controversial writer's four novels and one collection of short stories to make the case that Selby's writings represent an innovative merger of both "naturalistic" and "surrealistic" modes.