Like Hunger

Joyce Carol Oates and the Need to Believe

Like Hunger probes the ways in which Joyce Carol Oates's characters strive for some kind of faith. When traditional religions become uncompelling, Oates's characters reach for beliefs that reflect distinctly American values, ranging from faith in celebrities, food, or science to continual efforts at finding an idea of home. Drawing on works throughout Oates's six-decade career, David S. Rutledge uncovers how hunger often functions as a metaphor for the need to believe, and how this constant and unappeasable desire frequently leaves her characters searching for a narrative to maintain their sense of self and purpose—a story by which to define themselves.

Like Hunger offers an important reassessment of a major American writer, arguing that Oates's work expresses an underlying faith in storytelling, one of the ultimate values embodied in her art.

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
• £1.49 delivery fee on orders below £10.
• UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail 2nd Class.

International Delivery:

• Flat rate delivery charges vary by country.

Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK as soon as stock is available.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-7 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 30 working days

View our full delivery infomation here.