(The Web and the Root) By Wolfe, Thomas (Author) Paperback on 01-Aug-2009

by Thomas Wolfe

Shortly before his death at a tragically young age, author Thomas Wolfe presented his editor with an epic masterwork that was subsequently published as three separate You Can't Go Home Again , The Hills Beyond , and The Web and the Rock . The Web and the Root features the three initial sections of the The Web and the Rock , widely considered to be the book's strongest material. A prequel to You Can't Go Home Again , it is the story of George Webber's momentous journey from Libya Falls, North Carolina, to the Golden City of the North—offering vivid, sometimes cutting depictions of rural pleasures and small-town clannishness while exploring boundless urban possibility and the complex, violent undercurrents of the metropolis.

Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

People best know American writer Thomas Clayton Wolfe for his autobiographical novels, including Look Homeward, Angel (1929) and the posthumously published You Can't Go Home Again (1940).

Wolfe wrote four lengthy novels and many short stories, dramatic works and novellas. He mixed highly original, poetic, rhapsodic, and impressionistic prose with autobiographical writing. Wolfe wrote and published books that vividly reflect on American culture and the mores, filtered through his sensitive, sophisticated and hyper-analytical perspective. People widely knew him during his own lifetime.

Wolfe inspired the works of many other authors, including Betty Smith with A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Robert Morgan with Gap Creek; Pat Conroy, author of Prince of Tides, said, "My writing career began the instant I finished Look Homeward, Angel." Jack Kerouac idolized Wolfe. Wolfe influenced Ray Bradbury, who included Wolfe as a character in his books.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Kevin Kizer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolfe and Faulkner. Faulkner and Wolfe. They both constantly remind me of the other. Some absolutely wonderful descriptions of early 20th-century New York, right up there with F. Scott and Dos Passos. Unfortunately, this edition is rife, RIFE with typos. Shocking. Literally dozens of typos.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

wolfe: how racist are you

klansman: idk like a 7 or an 8

wolfe: you are like a little baby . Watch this *writes The Web and The Root*

klansman: holy shit

wolfe:

klansman:

wolfe: being a kid was really cool

klansman: listen man I gotta. I gotta go

wolfe: hey how sexist are you

[Joel Cuthbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit more of a difficult read then some of Wolfe's other works. I found myself a bit bogged down by some of the unfortunate racist language that shows the age and era of it's writing. Again Wolfe is a powder keg of language exploding in endless torrents of description. Sometimes this made for rich insight and profound character development at other times this seemed to get lost down endless passages of descriptive possibility. I think what lacked in this volume that I enjoyed so much in You Can't Go Home Again was the more profound insights into the philosophical and cultural underpinnings that showed the world in a more critical light. This book was full of sometimes dog-headed optimism and wonder but it wasn't tempered by the same thoughtful criticism that would emerge in his later writings. Still a rich and profound read from one of the most impressive authors I have ever read. I will continue to work through his books but would be in more of a hurry to return to his later work over this.

[Adam Gallant · Rating 4 out of 5]

The language in this book is like nothing else you're likely to have read. In the early pages there are staggeringly long descriptions of objects, places, and scenes which can make it difficult to hold the modern reader's attention. This form is at the same time the greatest strength and weakness of the intricate prose contained within. As the book becomes more of a story and dialogue between characters begins, it begins to feel less like one long poem and more like a novel. Worth reading to experience the unique voice of Wolfe. I was inspired to read this after reading William Gay's "Provinces of Night", in which Gay makes reference to Wolfe. Gay had also proclaimed before his death that he was a great admirer of Wolfe, and his influence can be observed here and there in Gay's writing.

[Ilyhana Kennedy · Rating 2 out of 5]

What an incredible rant this book is, if viewed from a current cultural perspective, and perhaps so even in its own time. It's an excellent resource for those studying the history of gender equity. It was written in the era when the term 'men' was viewed as including women by default if anyone challenged the term. (p.69).
Wolfe views the plight of a poverty stricken white section of community as their own fault, and perpetuated by the lust of the women (reason for having too many children!)
The book is very much from a male point of view and a decidedly misogynistic one at that. It's quite revealing in its exploration of male aggression and fear driven behaviours that are viewed as 'hero' making, passages to manhood.
I could have put this book down by page 70 but decided to continue as I found it an education in the dynamics of patriarchy.
The book is also a historical record of the changing style and perhaps purpose of writing. It's very descriptive, distanced and highly dramatised. The character George Webber is someone we read about rather than become engaged with as a person.
Such a boring book. I gave up around page 115. There was so little to engage the reader in this work, plenty of decorative icing and so little cake.
In this novel, it is clearly the author speaking, rather than the character. This has the effect of being lectured to, rather than being given the space to evaluate the character's worth and opinions for oneself.
So it was with some relief that I then delved into Wolfe's epic novel 'O Lost' and found myself back in the lyrical wonderland of Wolfe the master storyteller.