Realism has been disparaged for over a hundred years as an outmoded form, and, more recently, as a pernicious illusion, typical of nineteenth-century novels and Hollywood movies alike.After a long period of disrepute, realism has had in recent years something of a revival among critics and theorists.Yet this revival still represents a minority, and much of the old critique of realism remains taken for granted.This book treats realism as a persistent aspect of narrative in American culture, especially after World War II.It does not seek to elevate realism above other forms of fictional narrative – that is, to restore it to some real or imagined past supremacy.Rather, the goal is to reclaim realism as a narrative practice that has remained vital despite a long history of critical disapproval, by showing how it functions in significant recent works across media.