The Deep Sleep

by Wright Morris

"'Judge' Howard Potter, one of the most respected and influential citizens of a suburban town outside of Philadelphia, lies dead after a long and wearying illness. He is survived by the five people who knew him best and whose lives were deeply influenced by him. . . .Through the thoughts and reminiscences of these five very different people Mr. Morris tells his story. . . . [His] writing is occasionally obscure but always absorbing. He does not, like so many writers, hover omnisciently over his characters. He prefers to project himself into their innermost and very human thoughts and emotions, leaving the reader to draw his own conclusions. . . . Mr. Morris writes with wit, taste, and refreshing originality."--William Murray, Saturday Review. "Mr. Morris is a master of the exact phrase, the homely illuminating detail, and it is no accident that he is an excellent photographer. . . . His writing is simple, but his method is as complete as his subject matter, so he uses the multiple flashback, the melting of past into present."--E.M. Scott, New York Herald-Tribune Book Review. "A thoroughly satisfying novel"--Commonweal. "A most rewarding book"--Kirkus. "His finest novel to date"--San Francisco Chronicle. "With this novel he has clearly, and for the first time, ascended into literature"--New York Times Book Review. One of the most distinguished American authors, Wright Morris (1910-1988) wrote thirty-three books including The Field of Vision, which won the National Book Award.

312 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1975

About the author

Wright Marion Morris was an American novelist, photographer, and essayist. He is known for his portrayals of the people and artifacts of the Great Plains in words and pictures, as well as for experimenting with narrative forms.
Morris won the National Book Award for The Field of Vision in 1956. His final novel, Plains Song won the American Book Award in 1981.

Reviews

[Daniel Grenier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relecture fin 2023. Ma note ne change pas. Il y a quelque chose de rassurant et de déstabilisant en même temps à (re)plonger dans l'univers de Morris. Ce roman de la fin des années 1950 est assez typique de sa démarche presque exclusivement basée sur le discours indirect libre et le monologue intérieur. Ce qui fait qu'on est toujours un peu perdu entre ce qui se vit dans la tête des personnages et ce qui se vit dans la réalité extérieure. Je me demande d'ailleurs ce que les fans de William Gaddis qui ne connaissent pas l'oeuvre de Wright Morris penseraient de ce huis-clos qui n'est pas sans rappeler l'atmosphère étouffante de Carpenther's Gothic. Là où Gaddis fonctionne presque exclusivement par dialogues, Morris préfère entrer directement dans les pensées de ses protagonistes, mais ils se rejoignent dans un recours très expressionniste aux images et aux émotions véhiculées dans les gestes, dans les tics, dans les multiples non-dits qui caractérisent les interactions humaines. Cela étant dit, Morris, il me semble, juge moins ses personnages: il les laisse être eux-mêmes, sans en faire nécessairement des symboles de la déchéance de l'Amérique d'après-guerre. Et c'est tout à son honneur.

[Oakiedog · Rating 3 out of 5]

This subtle, beautiful book revolving around the death of the patriarch of a family. The small cast of characters interrelate while their past is disclosed. Wright's language is beautiful...the main character of the book for me... The book became a late night breath of air for me, and I really did not want it to end. The final 75 pages added new characters and little more advanced action, but not to the detriment of the overall feeling.
Neighbors came by to honor the dead and bring support to the family. One very deep conversation ended with the wife of the deceased finally saying that she was going to miss her husband. With everything that had gone on previously, she had not said that..and it was a very touching moment.
Great book that looked into the human heart deeply through the slow movements each character takes...through the transitory thoughts that occur...during the slow passing of a brief, life-changing time.

[John Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not well-known, but I think it's one of the great American novels of the twentieth century. Morris paints a subtle yet vivid portrait of postwar American life and its illusions, and the heartache underneath the idyllic exterior. I enjoyed it so much I wrote my master's thesis on this book.