This work investigates the tension between popular literary success and the formation of the academic canon during the latter half of the twentieth century. David T. Johnson examines the shifting criteria used by critics, publishers, and educators to determine which works of fiction merit inclusion in the literary canon. By analyzing the intersection of market trends and critical reception, the author argues that the boundaries between high art and popular entertainment became increasingly porous between 1940 and 2000. The text utilizes a combination of historical publishing data and critical essays to map the evolution of literary prestige.

Scholars in the field of literary history identify this text as a useful resource for understanding the institutionalization of literature in the late twentieth century. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the author's rigorous reliance on archival evidence to support his arguments.