Taps: A Novel [Paperback]

Willie Morris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 8, 2002

The final work from one of America's most beloved authors and an instant classic, TAPS takes readers on one last fictional journey to Willie Morris's South and spins a tender, powerful, very American story about the vanishing beauty of a charmed way of life and the fleeting boyhood of a young man coming of age in a time of war. In Fisk’s Landing, Mississippi, at the dawn of the Korean War, sixteen-year-old Swayze Barksdale is suddenly called to an unexpected duty - playing "Taps" at the gravesides of the town’s young casualties sent home from the front. Gradually, Swayze begins to pace his life around these all too frequent funerals, where his horn sounds the tragic note of the times. At turns funny, at turns poignant, TAPS abounds with colorful characters and yet "sings and sighs . . . with a kind of minor key wistfulness" (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette) as Swayze learns what it means to be a patriot, a son, a lover, a friend, a man.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Stilled by his death in August 1999, the voice of Willie Morris resonated with a particular Southern grace and eloquence. This posthumous novel, by turns poignant, funny, heartwarming and suspenseful, is worthy of comparison to Morris's classic North Toward Home. Set in the Mississippi Delta town of Fisk's Landing and spanning the early months of the Korean War, the narrative chronicles the adventures of 16-year-old Swayze Barksdale, who with his buddy Arch is called upon by hardware store owner and WWII hero Luke Cartwright to play "Taps" at the funeral of the first of the town's soldiers to fall in battle. The Korean conflict inexorably defines young Swayze's life as he participates in a succession of military funerals. When the much-despised Durley Godbold, the eldest son of an arrogant, domineering, wealthy landowner, is reported missing in action, Luke soon finds himself involved in an illicit affair with Durley's wife, Amanda. Swayze and his lifelong friend Georgia, the daughter of socially prominent parents, chance upon the lovers' secret and become conspirators of a sort. Stealing away to Luke's remote hideaway cabin, their own tender explorations are quickly fanned to flame. Illuminating the rich interior lives of the inhabitants of a Southern backwater, this tale of young love, intrigue, jealousy, treachery and violence is a deeply affecting swan song by one of America's most beloved writers. Echoing Faulkner and Caldwell, and Dan Wakefield's Going All the Way, it plays a fitting "Taps" for a literary genius cut down in his prime. (Apr. 16)Forecast: The recent movie version of My Dog Skip introduced Morris to a new generation, poised to become readers of this novel; retrospective reviews also might attract new readers. A six-city tour by the author's widow, JoAnne Prichard Morris, who will be joined by many of Morris's literary friends, and a tie-in with Father's Day merchandising should give the book a boost.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Morris died in 1999, and it's hard to accept that this is his last book. The gritty but poignant writings of the Mississippian who served as editor at Harper's in the 1960s have included a book about his childhood dog and one about his cat, but most famously, Toward Home (1967), in which he recalled the South of his childhood. Taps is a summary statement of Morris' fondness for the Mississippi where he came of age, and as such, the novel reads like a memoir of childhood and youth. The main character is Swayze Barksdale, who, at age 16, is busy gathering impressions of the adult world at a time when the Korean War is waging. A trumpet player, Swayze has plenty of opportunity to observe those around him when he plays "Taps" at the funerals of deceased hometown GIs. Swayze has a best friend, who teaches him about companionship; he has a girlfriend, who teaches him about early love and sexuality; and he has an adult friend, whose life and death teach Swayze the ultimate lessons in love and loss. Plotlines are kept to a minimum; this is a novel of characters rather than story, and what delicious, real, and beautifully conceived characters they are. Times were simpler in the 1950s, but this is not a simple novel. It's a deep and enriching last act for the delightful Willie Morris. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (April 8, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618219021
• ISBN-13: 978-0618219025
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,305,543 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A lovely end to a remarkable career, April 30, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Taps: A Novel (Hardcover)

I had tears in my eyes as I finished this book, knowing that it would be the last love letter from the South from Willie Morris. The sheer beauty of his voice comes through in every line of TAPS, and in every character. This was an author who loved his home and the people around him. I'm so glad that JoAnne Morris was able to bring this final work to Willie's millions of fans and I commend her strength of spirit as well as his. God bless Willie Morris--he will be missed.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Taps by Willie Morris, August 8, 2002

By 

WLHartlll (Pensacola,, Florida United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taps: A Novel (Hardcover)

Taps is a wonderful book. After reading just a little I
wished that the book was much, much longer. I grew up during
this period and believe it to be true to my experience.
This is the first book I have read by this author. Based on
this book I plan to read all he has written. Very sorry that
mr Morris died so (relatively) young.
I read 20-25 books a year. This is easily the best in quite a
few years.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of 2001, January 4, 2002

By 

scott saalman (Jasper, Indiana USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taps: A Novel (Hardcover)

Simply the best book I read in 2001. Completely satisfied my hunger for a great read -- now hungry for more, of course -- the same feeling I had after reading some of my other favorites: Flamingo Rising, by Larry Baker; Tomcat in Love, by Tim O'Brien; Wildlife, by Richard Ford; Straight Man, by Richard Russo and, of course, anything by Pat Conroy. Morris' last book is the first of his I've read. I'll work my backward through his library now.