Arcadio: A Novel - Softcover

William Goyen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0810150069 ISBN 13: 9780810150065

Publisher: Northwestern University Press, 1991

Synopsis

Completed while he was dying, William Goyen's Arcadio is one of the most affecting and imaginative farewells to life ever written. Arcadio, whose voice is inimitably Goyenesque, is a creature from beyond the normal walks of life. Half man, half woman, raised in a whorehouse and for years the veteran exhibitionist in an itinerant circus sideshow, he has escaped from the show and has been wandering in a quest for his lost family. Speaking intimately to the reader, he tells the bizarre and fantastic tale of his life. This unforgettable novel is the crown of Goyen's exploration of the forms and feelings that could be compassed within fiction.

About this title

Review:

"William Goyen's new novel Arcadio ranks among his most powerful and original visionary works. It virtually pulses with life; it is both audacious and wise; a timeless fable that manages to be boldly contemporary as well." --Joyce Carol Oates
"[A] triumph of the imagination. . . . the overwhelming power of a myth brought to life." --Publishers Weekly

About the Author:

Charles William Goyen (April 24, 1915 - August 30, 1983) was an American novelist, short story writer, playwright, poet, editor, and teacher. Born in a small town in East Texas, these roots would influence his work for his entire life.

About this edition

• Publisher: Northwestern University Press
• Publication date: 1991
• ISBN 10: 0810150069
• ISBN 13: 9780810150065
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 147