Author William Maxwell was in his 70s when So Long, See You Tomorrow was published
The Tyneside Book Club discussed a rediscovered classic in February. So Long, See You Tomorrow received critical praise and appreciation when it was first published in 1980 but has gained new admirers in recent years.
Despite being a short novel, members found it was a book that required considerable concentration, and needed to be read closely rather than quickly. Some felt this was a book that might repay re-reading.
Some found themselves confused by the array of names and characters, and by the structural approach of Maxwell.
While for some the first half, which dealt with the narrator's own childhood tragedy, was the most compelling, for others, the novel only really took a grip on their attention when it began to deal with the events leading to the murder that's revealed at the opening of the novel.
There were clear signs of its origins as a two-part story in the New Yorker.
Members found this was a book suffused with melancholy and sadness, and it was clear the writer had laid out some of his own autobiographical scars onto its pages.
For the admirers, Maxwell did infuse it with impact and empathy, and there was power to a scene in which the main character feels guilt. There was a vivid picture of a community, and of the human frailties that powered the tragedy at its heart.
For some though, there was a sense of self-indulgence, and they struggled to care much about the main character and the plot.
And whereas some felt So Long, See You Tomorrow did deserve its lauded position in US literature, some felt Maxwell, a former literary editor of the New Yorker, had produced a work which didn't quite match up to the authors he would have reviewed, worked with and profiled.
There was though plenty to discuss for the meeting, and although members were divided about how successful a novel it was, there was appreciation for some fine writing and interesting themes.
Despite being a short novel, members found it was a book that required considerable concentration, and needed to be read closely rather than quickly. Some felt this was a book that might repay re-reading.
Some found themselves confused by the array of names and characters, and by the structural approach of Maxwell.
While for some the first half, which dealt with the narrator's own childhood tragedy, was the most compelling, for others, the novel only really took a grip on their attention when it began to deal with the events leading to the murder that's revealed at the opening of the novel.
There were clear signs of its origins as a two-part story in the New Yorker.
Members found this was a book suffused with melancholy and sadness, and it was clear the writer had laid out some of his own autobiographical scars onto its pages.
For the admirers, Maxwell did infuse it with impact and empathy, and there was power to a scene in which the main character feels guilt. There was a vivid picture of a community, and of the human frailties that powered the tragedy at its heart.
For some though, there was a sense of self-indulgence, and they struggled to care much about the main character and the plot.
And whereas some felt So Long, See You Tomorrow did deserve its lauded position in US literature, some felt Maxwell, a former literary editor of the New Yorker, had produced a work which didn't quite match up to the authors he would have reviewed, worked with and profiled.
There was though plenty to discuss for the meeting, and although members were divided about how successful a novel it was, there was appreciation for some fine writing and interesting themes.
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