Carpenter's Gothic by William Gaddis
This story of raging comedy and despair centers on the tempestuous marriage of an heiress and a Vietnam veteran. From their "carpenter gothic" rented house, Paul sets himself up as a media consultant for Reverend Ude, an evangelist mounting a grand crusade that conveniently suits a mining combine bidding to take over an ore strike on the site of Ude's African mission. At the still center of the breakneck action--revealed in Gaddis's inimitable virtuoso dialoge--is Paul's wife, Liz, and over it all looms the shadowy figure of McCandless, a geologist from whom Paul and Liz rent their house. As Paul mishandles the situation, his wife takes the geologist to her bed and a fire and aborted assassination occur; Ude issues a call to arms as harrowing as any Jeremiad--and Armageddon comes rapidly closer. Displaying Gaddis's inimitable virtuoso dialogue, and his startling treatments of violence and sexuality, Carpenter's Gothic "shows again that Gaddis is among the first rank of contemporary American writers" (Malcolm Bradbury, The Washington Post Book World).
William Gaddis (1922-1998) is widely regarded as one of America's greatest writers of the twentieth century. He wrote five books throughout his career, winning two National Book Awards, a MacArthur Genius Prize, a Lannan Lifetime Achievement Award, and funds from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. He is adored and respected for his artistic breakthroughs, unforgettable characters, all-pervasive humor, and intellectual and visionary breadth.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780141182223 |
| ISBN 10 | 0141182229 |
| Title | Carpenter's Gothic |
| Author | William Gaddis |
| Series | Classic 20th-Century Penguin |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Penguin Putnam Inc |
| Year published | 1999-03-01 |
| Number of pages | 288 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |