Edwin Mullhouse: The life and Death of an American Writer: 1943 - 1954 [Hardcover]

Steven Millhauser (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1972

Edwin Mullhouse, a novelist at 10, is mysteriously dead at 11. As a memorial, Edwin's bestfriend, Jeffrey Cartwright, decides that the life of this great American writer must be told. He follows Edwin's development from his preverbal first noises through his love for comic books to the fulfillment of his literary genius in the remarkable novel, Cartoons.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

First published in 1972, Millhauser's cult novel is both a parody of literary biography and a heartfelt evocation of childhood.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Library Journal

This 1972 first novel was written in the form of a biography of a fictitious person by a fictitious author. The plot follows the life of Mullhouse, an "eccentric young show-off who fancied himself something of a literary wonder"
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 305 pages
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf; 1st edition (1972)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394480090
• ISBN-13: 978-0394480091
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,610,528 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic piece of work; wonderfully original!, January 6, 1999

By 

edible cville... "I eat. I travel. And I writ... (Charlottesville, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Edwin Mullhouse: The Life and Death of an American Writer 1943-1954 by Jeffrey Cartwright (Paperback)

I loved this book. It is one of the most original pieces of work I've read in years. It masterfully blends truth and fiction in such a way that you are drawn into the life story of Edwin Mullhouse. Beyond the descriptive imagery, which is fantastic, and brought back many of my own memories of childhood, this book plays with form, in that it is a FICTIONAL account written in the style of a classic English biography. The narrator is a child, but writes in an adult manner, giving detailed accounts and analysis to such events in Edwin's life as how he learned to speak, his first comic book, and the first great love of his life (in 1st grade).

This juxtaposition of adult analysis with childish feelings, toys, and concerns makes a great new form of "fictional biography"

I also loved the "physicality" of words that exists in this work. Edwin, just learning to write, can't help seeing words as pictures. For example, "yellow" is a boat with a rudder and two smoke stacks and "bed" is two fat men looking at each other over a table. Edwin is fascinated with cartoons and comics and writes his masterpiece, "Cartoons" when he is just 11. This is basically a very detailed account of a cartoon. I LOVED IT! To "read" a cartoon and see it in your head as you read brings a new dimension to the printed page. The words become images and the images are words. Great reading, and highly recommended for any serious writer or anyone who wants to remember their childhood....(note: I picked up this book when I heard Charles Frazier was reading it; he wrote Cold Mountain---not only a great author, but a great book critic it seems ;)

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haunting, witty, masterful, July 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Edwin Mullhouse: The Life and Death of an American Writer 1943-1954 by Jeffrey Cartwright (Paperback)

Previous reviewers are right to single out Millhauser's stunningly accurate, beautifully rendered descriptions of the minutiae of childhood--he remembers everything of childhood we've forgotten.

More importantly, in his own playful and deadly way, he draws readers into a sinister dance, making us accomplices to the crime at the heart of the book. Among other things, if you're a reader of "real" biographies, you'll likely return to your nonfiction with a slightly different take on the genre.

Not that the following statement will win the books zillions of new readers, but, if you love (or at least admire) Nabokov's Pale Fire, be sure not to miss Edwin Mullhouse.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy That Is More Vivid Than Life, July 7, 2003

By 

ManDevil1942 (Rochester, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Edwin Mullhouse: The Life and Death of an American Writer 1943-1954 by Jeffrey Cartwright (Paperback)

I just finished reading the other readers' reviews of this book. I want to add just one more thing. Upon reading the book a second time, I was so involved with the characters that I was actually hoping for a happier ending this time. Of course, no such ending would have been as satisfying as the one Millhauser produced, but my connection with Edwin was so strong that I couldn't help wanting him to triumph.