Set in a mythical indiana county based partly on henry county, indiana, the novel tells the life story of john wickliff shawnessy in a series of flashbacks. It is historical, and philosophical, pithy and gritty. In 1994 larry lockridge, a professor of english at new york university and one of ross lockridge jr. He is remembered for raintree county, a widely praised novel that many readers and a few critics regard as the great american novel and also for his death by suicide just as his book was. It stars montgomery clift, elizabeth taylor, eva marie saint, and lee marvin. Thats a pretty equivocal statement, especially when one considers the herculean effort lockridge put into the writing of raintree county. In 2014, doug storm interviewed two of lockridges sons for interchange, his show on wfhb. Fort worth startelegram my favorite novel of all time is raintree county. This book contains a collection of stories, remembrances, and photos connected with the book, film, and county. No other book has ever impacted me in such sweeping, allencompassing fashion. It is also written in a style that reminds me a bit of joyces stream of consciousness, but is less. In his book shade of the raintree, larry lockridge wrote that it took over 40 years for his mother to tell him the truth about his fathers death. It took six years to write after several years of research, runs to 1060.
Raintree county by ross lockridge jr, best seller 1948. I realize there are only a handful of you out there who know, or at least have heard of this book. Raintree county rediscovered classics lockridge jr. In the 1950s raintree county was made into a lavish cinematic reply to gwtw. When this book was in production, lockridge, married with young children, committed suicide. He is noted for raintree county 1948, a widely praised novel which many readers and critics considered a contender for the great american novel, and for his death by suicide just as it was reaching the top of the bestseller lists. The word is that more than six years were spent by writers at metrogoldwynmayer trying to get some sort of workable screenplay out of ross lockridge jr.
The novel, which quickly became a bestseller, was widely praised by readers and critics alike. Skeleton key to the suicide of my father, ross lockridge. May 23, 2016 will mark the one year anniversary of ross lockridge jr. Raintree county, the first novel by ross lockridge, jr. Boards, spine, pages and hinges are secure and in good condition. When he was at work, twenty or thirty pages spewed from his typewriter each day, some on their way to the wastebasket, others to be revised, endlessly before they were satisfactory, but always expanding. Signin to download and listen to this audiobook today. Raintree county by ross lockridge, first edition abebooks. She retyped the manuscript for raintree county and was the first to read it. Apr 09, 2014 in 1994 larry lockridge, a professor of english at new york university and one of ross lockridge jr. He was a perfectionist, he came to feel that the book was a failure, and he found it difficult to live with that. In 1937 he married his high school sweetheart and they had four children. More happily, he also reported that today his family still receives fan mail from readers who write of raintree county with, language usually reserved for religious conversions.
As the novel climbed high on the bestseller lists, lockridge, at the peak of his fame, died by suicide at age 33. Raintree county was a thousand plus novel written by ross lockbridge jr. Listen to raintree county audiobook by ross lockridge, jr stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. Raintree county, a first novel by ross lockridge, jr. Biography and enigma, the case of ross lockridge, jr. Lockridge committed suicide at the age of 33 in his hometown, two months after his only novel was published to great critical and popular acclaim. It tells the story of a smalltown midwestern teacher and poet named john shawnessy, who, in his younger days before his service as a union soldier in the civil war, met and married a beautiful southern belle.
A look at raintree county, the book, the movie and the real place in henry county, indiana. Suffering from profound, and largely unrecognized, depression, he committed suicide two months after the novels publication. He is most noted for raintree county, often considered one of the great american novels. The biography by larry lockridge, is a powerful scholars look at the life and suicide of his father.
With stars like elizabeth taylor, montgomery clift and eva marie saint, this wonderful story created by author ross lockridge jr. A brief synopsis on ross lockridge, jr raintree county. Both the studio and the book ofthemonth club demanded prepublication cuts as well. Its possible this actually isnt ross lockridge jr s fault. I would describe raintree county by ross lockridge, jr.
Henry county can be proud of this great community and farreaching project. Our bookstore has been in business for five years now and it is becoming a much appreciated part of the literary scene. The coroner declared this a suicide, but many of his friends refused to believe it. Revisiting lockridges raintree county baltimore sun. Color painting covers front and back 990 pages paperbound eagle books a division of pocket books. Told in a series of flashbacks, this is the story of.
Raintree county is a 1957 american technicolor melodramatic film set during the american civil war, directed by edward dmytryk. In this portrait, taken in 1928, she is 14 years of age. Raintree county is an encyclopedic, mythological, ecological, mother earth goddess, civil war based novel by ross lockridge, jr. At its time, it was regarded as the great american novel second only to margaret mitchells gone with the wind and in some ways, both raintree county and gone with the wind are a bit alike, although everyone generally considers gone with the wind to be the superior work of historic. Book is in great condition considering the age and paperback. Throughout a single day in 1892, john shawnessy recalls the great m. It tells the story of a smalltown midwestern teacher and poet named john shawnessy, who. Raintree county, his first novel, had just reached number one on the. It is huge, and sprawling, and poignant, and funny. Here, storm writes about the sons conflicting opinions on the suicide and the assessment of raintree county as the great american novel.
Pages and binding are presentable with no major defects. Raintree county cover, courtesy of goodreads ross lockridge jr. Minor issues present such as mild cracking, inscriptions, inserts, light foxing, tanning and thumb marking. A web site dedicated to raintree county, the novel. Apr 04, 2018 i would describe raintree county by ross lockridge, jr. Get this book free when you sign up for a 30day trial. Jul 02, 2014 in his book shade of the raintree, larry lockridge wrote that it took over 40 years for his mother to tell him the truth about his fathers death. The trajectory of his labor, success, and devastating ending is remarkably short by.
A book about the novel raintree county, the author ross lockridge jr. Buy a cheap copy of raintree county book by ross lockridge jr for the first time in paperbackthe epic, great american novel about love, tragedy, and the american dream. Its hard for me to imagine how he could have topped this book with any subsequent effort. The novel, published in 1948 after many delays, was set on a single day, many years after the civil war, albeit with reminiscences of the past, and its author, ross lockridge, jr. Its about american journalism, patriotism, and a starcrossed love affair a. Since raintree county appeared in 1948, no one has known what to make of ross lockridge jr. It also describes the place that lockridge wrote about, that being henry county, indiana. According to an altered books arts article, he withdrew from his studies and taught at a nearby college, so he could focus on his literary magnum opus. Seller james cummins bookseller published 1948 condition green cloth, pictorial endsheets.
It was adapted from the novel of the same name by ross lockridge jr. Taken in the summer of 1946 at the old home place in straughn, henry co. Herman wouk is the bestselling author of the caine mutiny, dont stop the carnival, war and rememberance, and the winds of war. This is a unique part of guadalajara with a vibrant ambiance, lots of bookstores, restaurants, coffee shops, it is a fun unique part of this city. His original ms was 600,000 words, but pressure from houghton mifflin, mgm, and the book of the month club obliged him to cut it by a third. Jan 20, 2009 listen to raintree county audiobook by ross lockridge, jr stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. No myth is more imposing than the great american novel. Skeleton key to the suicide of my father, ross lockridge, jr. Raintree county is a work that should rank with thomas wolfes look homeward, angel as a landmark in american fiction.