The Public Burning
The Public Burning by Robert Coover, published by Grove Press in 1998, is a First Edition novel comprising 534 pages. This work reimagines the events surrounding the execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg in 1953, incorporating historical figures such as Vice-President Richard Nixon, Betty Crocker, and Joe McCarthy. The narrative unfolds over three pivotal days, presenting a unique perspective on Cold War America and the societal implications of the Rosenbergs’ trial and execution.
Readers will encounter a rich tapestry of characters and events as Coover blends fiction with historical reality. The novel features a diverse cast, including iconic personalities and cultural references, all converging in Times Square for a dramatic auto-da-fé. This portrayal invites exploration of themes related to power, public perception, and the complexities of historical narratives. The Public Burning stands as a significant contribution to the genre of historical fiction, challenging conventional storytelling through its innovative use of real-life figures.
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A controversial best-seller in 1977, The Public Burning has since emerged as one of the most influential novels of our time. The first major work of contemporary fiction ever to use historical figures as characters, the novel reimagines the three fateful days in 1953 that culminated with the execution of alleged atomic spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. Vice-President Richard Nixon – the voraciously ambitious bad boy of the Eisenhower regime – is the dominant narrator in an enormous cast that includes Betty Crocker, Joe McCarthy, the Marx Brothers, Walter Winchell, Uncle Sam, his adversary The Phantom, and Time magazine incarnated as the National Poet Laureate. All of these and thousands more converge in Times Square for the carnivalesque auto-da-fé at which the Rosenbergs are put to death. And not a person present escapes implication in Cold War America’s ruthless “public burning.”
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