William Maxwell: Later Novels and Stories: The Château / So Long, See You Tomorrow (Library of America #184) [Hardcover]

William Maxwell (Author), Christopher Carduff (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 4, 2008

On the centennial of William Maxwell’s birth, here is the second volume in a two- volume collected edition that reveals the full range of an extraordinary literary voice, a voice that John Updike has called “one of the wisest in American fiction . . . as well as one of the kindest.” In Later Novels and Stories, Maxwell deepens his connection to his signature subject matter even as he broadens his canvas. The Château (1961) describes the most subtle and bittersweet encounter of American naiveté and Old World mystery since Henry James. So Long, See You TomorrowBillie Dyer (1992) and eleven other works of short fiction— some never before collected. The volume concludes with forty brief “improvisations”— fairy tales Maxwell wrote for his wife—and the essay “Nearing Ninety” (1997), his moving valediction to a lifetime of reading and storytelling.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Christopher Carduff, editor, is a consulting editor at The Library of America. His companion edition, William Maxwell: Early Novels and Stories, was published in January 2008.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 990 pages
• Publisher: Library of America; First Edition edition (September 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598530267
• ISBN-13: 978-1598530261
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #407,781 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thoroughly accessible and beautifully bound edition, September 4, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: William Maxwell: Later Novels and Stories: The Château / So Long, See You Tomorrow (Library of America #184) (Hardcover)

Maxwell: Later Novels and Stories is the second volume of The Library of America's quality presentation of author William Maxwell's classic stories and novels. The writings presented were selected by editor Christopher Carduff, who also wrote the extensive notes on text, which are eminently useful for placing references to historical figures or events in context. The stories and improvisations largely come from Maxwell's writing career later in his life, dating from 1957 to 1999; selections include the novels "The Chateau" and "So Long, See You Tomorrow" and stories "The Value of Money", "Billie Dyer", "The Room Outside", and many more. A thoroughly accessible and beautifully bound edition of tales by an author exquisitely skilled at rendering tragedy with a distinctively American cultural style. Also highly recommended for public library and private literature collections is the companion volume, "William Maxwell: Early Novels and Stories" (9781598530162, $35.00).

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Handsome and classy, September 30, 2008

By 

Mark W. Kisselbach "American Lit. nerd" (Phillipsburg, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: William Maxwell: Later Novels and Stories: The Château / So Long, See You Tomorrow (Library of America #184) (Hardcover)

I have volume I, and this one is just as classy and handsomely assembled. The great So Long is here, replacing my worn paperback copy. I hope other fans of Anerican lit. will discover this master--one of several sorely overlooked in the 20th century associated with the New Yorker.