Simple Honorable Man

by Conrad Richter

This novel by one of America’s foremost writers—and perhaps the most truly American of all—is rock-based in values and virtues which most of the time seem to have disappeared from our fiction, if not from American life itself. The story of a storekeeper turned minister, A Simple Honorable Man is the fictional record of a life spent in the service of others, a life bringing the power of simple goodnessto obscure, sometimes earthy and violent people. Harry Donner (the father in Mr. Richter’s previous novel, The Waters of Kronos) stands in this novel as a man of integrity engaged in the day-by-day activities of son, husband, father, friend, and counselor in an age when home and family exerted moral conviction and social authority. Written with Conrad Richter’s customary grace of style and purity of vision, A Simple Honorable Man joins the long list of his moving and evocative portrayals in fiction of American life. 

Genres: Classics

309 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 1980

About the author

Conrad Michael Richter (October 13, 1890 – October 30, 1968) was an American novelist whose lyrical work is concerned largely with life on the American frontier in various periods. His novel The Town (1950), the last story of his trilogy The Awakening Land about the Ohio frontier, won the 1951 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.[1] His novel The Waters of Kronos won the 1961 National Book Award for Fiction.[2] Two collections of short stories were published posthumously during the 20th century, and several of his novels have been reissued during the 21st century by academic presses. (wikipedia.org)

Reviews

[Clifford Wollum · Rating 3 out of 5]

The simple honorable man is a priest in the 1900's and his life to his death at age 79. Conrad Richter tells the tale of the life of a simple honorable man in narration.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this quiet story of an early 20th century Lutheran minister who finds fulfillment in an unassuming ministry to poor, often illiterate rural Pennsylvanians. Never condescending or self-righteous, he is able to see the good in everyone while always working to root out the sinful in himself. This is also the story of his wife who is the steady, uncomplaining strength of her family despite never feeling at home in the communities he moves her to. Richter gently grapples with the big questions of our deepest humanity as he depicts this extraordinarily ordinary couple.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful story about a true simple, honorable man!