Raintree County - Softcover

Lockridge, Ross, Jr.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 014023666X ISBN 13: 9780140236668

Publisher: Penguin, 1994

Synopsis

For the first time in paperback--the epic, great American novel about love, tragedy, and the American Dream. Told in a series of flashbacks, this is the story of John Wickliff Shawnessy, who grows up to be the epitome of Civil War-era America. Originally published in 1948.

About this title

Review:

"An achievement of art and purpose, a cosmically brooding book full of significance and beauty." --"The New York Times"

"[A] candidate for that mythical honor, the Great American Novel, "Raintree County" displays unflagging industry [and] a . . . magnificent vitality." --"Saturday Review"

"A work that should rank with Thomas Wolfe's "Look Homeward, Angel" as a landmark in American fiction." --"Philadelphia Inquirer"

"[An] extraordinary work . . . I have reread" Raintree County" at least once a year. It is a book that I, at least, have grown into, still grow into." --"Detroit News"

"No myth is more imposing than the Great American Novel; but if it is truly unattainable, I believe that Ross Lockridge made closer approach than any other writer has, before or since." --"Fort Worth Star-Telegram"

"The powerful currents and depth of this great swollen river of a book remain irresistible. "Raintree County" doesn't have to be the great American novel to be an American classic and a classic expression of the American dream; a time and place in our history are made permanent in this book." --Richard Dyer, "Boston Globe"

"Just how good is "Raintree County"? . . . Looking back at it, one is struck by the strength of its prose and the life of its characters. The Civil War section alone, well over 200 pages and the heart of the book, justifies the extravagant Great American Novel claims some critics have made for it. . . . Had Ross Lockridge, Jr. lived, he might well have changed the direction of American writing--for that, and nothing less, was his intention." --Bruce Cook, "Chicago Tribune"

"My favorite novel of all time is "Raintree County". It's about American journalism, patriotism, and a star-crossed love affair a hundred years ago. Like the Bible, you can pick it up, read any page, and gain something. It's poetry. Forget the movie, if you saw it, the book is something entirely different." --Edna Buchanan, author, "You Only Die Twice" and "Cold Case Squad"

About the Author:

Ross Lockridge, Jr., was born in 1914 in Bloomington, Indiana. Lockridge committed suicide at the age of 33 in his hometown, two months after his only novel was published to great critical and popular acclaim. Herman Wouk is the bestselling author of "The Caine Mutiny," "Don't Stop the Carnival," "War and Rememberance," and "The Winds of War."

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 014023666X
• ISBN 13: 9780140236668
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 1088