A Lost King

by Raymond Decapite, Thomas DePietro (Foreword)

Raymond DeCapite's second published novel, A Lost King, has been described by Kirkus Reviews as a "small masterpiece, so unique in spirit and style." If the mood of The Coming of Fabrizze is joyous, that of A Lost King is somber. Each of DeCapite's novels is original in its own way, perhaps inspired by different moods. Writing in the New York Times in 1961, Orville Prescott described Fabrizze as "an engaging modern folk tale so full of love and laughter and the joy of life that it charmed critics and numerous readers and was generally considered one of the most promising first novels of 1960," He found DeCapite's second novel, A Lost King, was a different sort of book than Fabrizze: "Fabrizze is an apologia for heroes; A Lost King is an apologia for dreamers. A more mature book, it deals with a more serious theme--the relationship of a father and son...a pathetic and perhaps tragic conflict of personalities."

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1961

About the author

Raymond DeCapite was born in Cleveland in 1924. His published novels were The Coming of Fabrizze, A Lost King, Pat the Lion on the Head, Go Very Highly Trippingly To and Fro, and The Stretch Run. He wrote three plays: Sparky And Company, Things Left Standing, and Where The Trains Go. He was a recipient of the Cleveland Arts Prize, the Ohioana Award, and the Cleveland Critics' Circle Award.

Reviews

[Charles White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this is a hidden classic. Truly great book.

[Thomas Baughman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book. Kent State U.p. is reprinting it this year.