1923 Pulitzer: One of Ours one of most disturbing war account novels
Cather, Willa (1922). One of Ours. Another novel that shows the “American Story” of the early Twentieth Century, One of Ours is one of the most disturbing war account novels I have read. The American Dream collides with the horrors of modern warfare with beautiful flashes of poetic insight, tales and descriptions of death, suffering, [...]
1918 Pulitzer: His Family, First Pulitzer Novel tells archetypal American story
Poole, Ernest (1917). His Family. Won first Pulitzer Prize for Novel in 1918. I was reminded of Virginia Woolf’s The Years, but His Family is more personal and slightly less sweeping. The plotting is old-fashioned by today’s standards, but the characterizations are developed and strong. The theme is well executed. A great document of its [...]
1922 Pulitzer: Alice Adams, thinking about the American middle class
Tarkington, Booth (1921). Alice Adams. 1922 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Left with the thought of the fluidity of the American middle class. People work hard to a certain point, then it can come crashing down. The great opportunities presented by our economy sometimes can be cruel because people are able to prop themselves up artificially. Today [...]
1929 Pulitzer: Scarlet Sister Mary
Scarlet Sister Mary by Julia Peterkin spoke to me. I related to Mary personally; that was surely part of the intention: we all fail. We are all human. And American stories are always about people who don’t or can’t follow the rules or who do not do things the way others do them. The Gullah [...]
1919 Pulitzer: Magnificient Ambersons, Melodramatic Tragic Novel from 1918 that still has something to say to us
The Magnificient Ambersons by Booth Tarkington. Winner of the 1919 Pulitzer Prize for Literature. An engaging book, despite at several points wanting it to move along faster. The first half of the book is well constructed, and interesting because the central character is not presented as a likable fellow. Foreshadowing and hiding of the mother’s [...]
Photoblog
Categories
Tags
Features
Blogs Beheld
Find Brian On Web
