Wallace earle stegner february 18, 1909 april, 1993 was an american novelist, short story writer, environmentalist, and historian, often called the dean of western writers. Yes, not my favorite narrator or author but i would give each another listen. Notable titles from stegner include the big rock candy mountain, all the little live things, and angle of repose. Wallace stegner books list of books by author wallace stegner. The spectator bird by wallace stegner is about joe allston. His final novel, crossing to safety is the quiet yet stirring tale of two couples that meet during the great depression and form a lifelong bond. The big rock candy mountain by wallace stegner books on.
Drifting from town to town and from state to state, the violent, ruthless bo seeks his fortune in the hotel business, in new farmland, and, eventually, in illegal rumrunning throughout the treacherous back roads of the american northwest. The big rock candy mountain bison book 9780803291447 by stegner, wallace and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. Browse wallace stegners bestselling audiobooks and newest titles. It is the saga of one family, the masons, told in straightforward narrative, the events of which hew to an overarching authorial theme. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the big rock candy mountain. Stegners big rock candy mountain is, like most of his work, a bit dense, prosewise.
Wallace stegner s wife, mary, said that wallace would disapprove of the fuss surrounding the issue. But there was a rock that set heavily on my heart as i read and the rock got bigger and bigger. The big rock candy mountain contemporary american fiction paperback march 1, 1991 by wallace stegner author. Wallace stegner portrays more than three decades in the life of the mason family as they struggle to survivle.
Drifting from town to town and from state to state, the violent, ruthless bo seeks out his fortunein the hotel business, in new farmland, and, eventually, in illegal rumrunning through the treacherous back roads of the american northwest. It is the saga of one family, the masons, told in straightforward narrative, the events of. Joe allston, the retired literary agent in stegners national book awardwinning novel the spectator bird, returns in this disquieting and keenly observed. May 18, 2008 wallace stegner, the big rock candy mountain. Oct 05, 2011 this is the most important book wallace stegner has done, and he has been marked as a comer ever since his memorable novelette, remembering laughter. It is simultaneously depressing, irritating, and utterly engrossing.
I enjoyed reading wallace stegners pulitzer prize winning book, angle of repose so that is why i chose to read big rock candy mountain. Angle of repose, big rock candy mountain and crossing to safety are better novels than americas literary critics realized at the time. The spectator bird, 1976 national book award, 1977. Would you try another book from wallace stegner andor mark bramhall. Some of his wellknown works include, the big rock candy mountain, angle of repose, all the little live things, the spectator bird, the american west as living space, discovery. One of his most successful novels, crossing to safety takes place in wisconsin and vermont. The big rock candy mountain is a 1943 semiautobiographical novel by american writer wallace stegner. Drifing from town to town and from state to state, the violent, ruthless bo seeks outhis fortunein the hotel business, on new farmland, and, eventually, in illegal rumrunning through the threacherous back roads of the american northwest.
Stegner states in the forward to the book that it was the first of my books to acheieve wide recognition, the big rock candy mountain, was an attempt to capture in the experiences of a single family the social and psychological consequences of the ending of the f rontier and the pinching out of the american dream. Although wallace stegner is called the dean of western writers, not all of his fiction is laid in the west. The fictional family in the book, like stegners family during his childhood, frequently moves to different cities in pursuit of various financial schemes that never work out. He is very insightful about a particular type of american character, which he depicts at some length in the novels protagonist, bo mason. This series was released for readers to enjoy for the first time in 1943. The big rock candy mountain, stegners fifth book, was this months book. Like most of stegners fiction, the big rock candy mountain is autobiographical, and bruce mason is a selfportrait. The title of this novel is symbolic the search for the promise over the mountain frustrated dreams of power and wealth and happiness.
The big rock candy mountain is a vast, living, untidy book. This is a sweeping novel, set in the western united states, as the. It seems to me that wallace stegner is underappreciated here and elsewhere even though his writing seems to always be superb. I read crossing to safety and angle of repose years ago and enjoyed both of them enough to zip.
I picked this up after reading stegners later novels crossing to safety and angle of repose. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. The big rock candy mountain book king county library. After his death, the creative writing fellowship, stegner fellowship was created in his honour and memory. Wallace stegner audio books, best sellers, author bio. Stegner portrays more than thirty years in the life of the. There was no candy on wallace stegners big rock candy mountain. His latest collection of essays, where the bluebird sings to the lemonade springs is the sanest book ive ever read. Jan 27, 2017 first, and i want to get this out of the way immediately, i want you to know i think wallace stegner was a genius, a literary genius. Bo mason, his wife, elsa, and their two boys live a transient life of poverty and despair. Most of the gals in the club had read and liked crossing to safety and thought it was time we try another of his books.
The big rock candy mountain by wallace stegner goodreads. Buy a cheap copy of the big rock candy mountain book by wallace stegner. I have now read three of his books, angle of repose, the big rock candy mountain and crossing to safety. In 1987, his tenth novel, crossing to safety, was published, 50 years after. Wallace stegners life could be described as a continual search for the angle of repose. All his writings are informed by a deep sense of the american experience and the potential, which he termed the geography of promise, that the west symbolizes. We personally assess every book s quality and offer rare, outof. York times and the pulitzer prizewinning author of angle of repose and crossing to safety. Wallace stegner, american author of fiction and historical nonfiction set mainly in the western united states. A successful statesman and diplomat, mason had buried his awkward and lonely childhood and sealed himself off from the thrills and torments of adolescence to become. Wallace stegner is the writer and creator of the bruce mason fictional series of novels. The big rock candy mountain ebook written by wallace stegner.
First, and i want to get this out of the way immediately, i want you to know i think wallace stegner was a genius, a literary genius. The big rock candy mountain penguin modern classics. The big rock candy mountain by wallace stegner, 97801409396, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. If that is true, my heart aches for the little boy that was wallace stegner. See all books authored by wallace stegner, including crossing to safety, and angle of repose, and more on. The big rock candy mountain contemporary american fiction.
This is when the debut story in this series first was printed and it is titled big rock candy mountain. We opted away from the angle of repose because several of us had already read it. It follows the life of the mason family during the early. I read angle of repose twice crossing to safety three times. The big rock candy mountain by wallace stegner, 97801492349, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Sequel to big rock candy mountain, set in salt lake city. The big rock candy mountain the spectator bird series by wallace stegner. Who has read the big rock candy mountain by wallace stegner.
A defining masterpiece by the dean of western writers the new york times and the pulitzer prizewinning author of angle of repose and crossing to safetybo mason, his wife, elsa, and their two boys live a transient life of poverty and despair. The big rock candy mountain book whatcom county library. Drifting from town to town and from state to state, the violent, ruthless. I chose crossing to safety over big rock candy mountain only because it was a little shorter. This book has been regarded for many years as a classic bilungsroman coming of age novel for the region. This book is what all writers should aspire to be like. It follows the life of the mason family during the early 20th century in the united states and canada. I read angle of repose a few years ago and enjoyed it a lot. Bo mason and his wife and two boys live a transient life of poverty and despair. It follows the life of the mason family bo and elsa with their sons chester and bruce during the early 20th century in the united states and canada. I did not really like it but i couldnt stop reading. They are better novels than we readers realize now. Browse author series lists, sequels, pseudonyms, synopses, book covers, ratings and awards. A defining masterpiece by the dean of western writers the new york times and the pulitzer prizewinning author of angle of repose and crossing to safety bo mason, his wife, elsa, and their two boys live a transient life of poverty and despair.
Wallace stegner dean and mentor of western american writers. Discover more authors youll love listening to on audible. Wallace stegner biography childhood, life achievements. The big rock candy mountain by wallace stegner librarything. Buy the big rock candy mountain penguin modern classics by wallace stegner isbn.
The big rock candy mountain book by wallace stegner. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Stegner has created a masterful, harrowing saga of a family trying to survive during the lean years of the early 20th century. Now let me back up before i get back to that point. The big rock candy mountain by wallace stegner blogger. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading crossing to safety modern library classics. This is the most important book wallace stegner has done, and he has been marked as a comer ever since his memorable novelette, remembering laughter. Wallace stegner is currently considered a single author.
Most of the gals in the club had read and liked crossing to safety. Analysis big rock candy mountain 1943 wallace stegner 1909. The big rock candy mountain by wallace stegner, paperback. The big rock candy mountain by wallace stegner penguin. Wallace stegner primary author only author division. The big rock candy mountain is the book that should have won stegner the pulitzer.
Stegners most autobiographical work, the big rock candy mountain, yields. All the little live things, 1967 commonwealth club gold medal. Wallace stegners latest book shows great advance in power and grasp over the shorter novels for. A defining masterpiece by the dean of western writers the new york times and the pulitzer prizewinning author of angle of repose and crossing to safety. He is 70 years old, difficult to deal with, and a former literary agent who has no goals in life. Bo mason, his wife, and his two boys live a transient life of poverty and despair. Author of the big rock candy mountain, angle of repose, wolf willow, beyond the hundredth meridian, crossing to safety, all the little live things, the spectator bird, the gathering of zion wallace stegner open library. An iconic novel, akin to grapes of wrath, the big rock candy mountain is emblematic of the shortfalls of the american dream. Wallace stegner books list of books by author wallace. The big rock candy mountain audiobook by wallace stegner. Among the other novels of wallace stegner 19091993 are the big rock candy mountain 1943, joe hill 1950, all the little live things 1967, the spectator bird 1976. From 1945 to 1971 stegner taught at stanford university, where the writing program is named after him.
Ive read commentary indicating that big rock candy mountain is largely autobiographical. I enjoyed it very much also, but now im really looking forward to reading brcm. I had to sit with it for weeks before i could begin to wrap my brain around what. The novel also matches stegners family history in some of the specific locatio. It is one of the best descriptions of a certain sort of american character that i have ever read. Nov 28, 2017 the big rock candy mountain ebook written by wallace stegner. The big rock candy mountain audiobook wallace stegner. Wallace stegner 19091993 was the author of, among other novels, remembering laughter, 1937. The big rock candy mountain is the book that should have won stegner the pulitzer prize long before he wrote angle of repose. The big rock candy mountain and millions of other books are available for instant access. Many of the expressions remind me of things my grandparents used to say. A classic novel from wallace stegner, and the dean of western writers the new york times and the pulitzer prizewinning author of angle of repose and crossing to safetythis is his the incredible, moving sequel to the bestselling big rock candy mountain. Its a tough start, but repays effort after the first couple of chapters. The term regional is a belittling characterization typical of new york critics.
One of the finest american authors of the 20th century, wallace stegner compiled an impressive collection of accolades during his lifetime, including a pulitzer prize for fiction, a national book award, and three o. The big rock candy mountain, stegners fifth book, was this months book club selection. Who has read the big rock candy mountain by wallace. Wallace initially opposed the creation of a hiking path near his home but mary stegner confided that her husband later came to enjoy walking on it, and the path was eventually named for him posthumously, in 2008. Fictional retelling of stegners childhood and youth. Wallace stegner although sometimes categorized as merely a western writer, wallace stegner 19091993 was more than that. Last year i decided to read another of wallace stegners books. Franklin library, signed limited edition by stegner, wallace and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Drifting from town to town and from state to state, the violent, ruthless bo seeks out his fortunein the hotel business, in new farmland, and. At 576 pages, with 10 parts that spanned the 1890s to 1930s, this is a long novel which made the trek up this mountain quite painful and at times almost unbearable. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and. I cant say theres much action but there is so much heart and soul. Years ago while reading angle of repose and crossing to safety i recall.
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