The Web and the Rock

Product Description
This book tells the growth of the protagonist George Webber: came to the metropolis New York from a small town in the southern United States but the novel written with all his energies was left out by the publishers; fell in love with the married man Esther but was incompatible with the upper class; came to Europe but the fascist came to power. After a series of struggle and confusion, the author had the impulse of returning to the hometown but he deeply understood that he could no longer find the spiritual home. In this work, the author gradually changes the focus from people’s inner world to the outside world and begins to focus on depicting the whole American society, but it is still filled with sadness and confusion.
From Library Journal
Published posthumously in 1939, this novel introduces George Webber, whose saga is followed up in Wolfe’s signature work, You Can’t Go Home Again. The story begins with Webber’s North Carolina upbringing and moves on to his relocation to New York City, where he meets wealthy socialite Esther Jack, who introduces him to a whole new world. Essential for public and academic libraries.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
Novel by Thomas Wolfe, published posthumously in 1939 after being reworked by editor Edward Aswell from a larger manuscript. Like Wolfe’s other novels, The Web and the Rock is an autobiographical account of a successful young writer from North Carolina living in New York City in the early 20th century. The main character, George Webber, bears many similarities to Eugene Gant, the soul-searching protagonist of Wolfe’s earlier novels Look Homeward, Angel (1929) and Of Time and The River (1935). Esther Jack, who first appeared in Of Time and the River, is an urban sophisticate who becomes Webber’s lover and muse. The Web and the Rock has been criticized for its inconsistent style but praised for its poetry and passion. Its sequel is You Can’t Go Home Again (1940). —