The Centaur
by Updike, John
- Used
- Paperback
- first
- Condition
- Very Good +
- Seller
-
STREETSVILLE, Ontario, Canada
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Fawcett Crest, 1964 Book. Very Good +. Pbk. First Pbk.Ed.. "The story concerns George Caldwell, a school teacher, and his son Peter, outside of Alton (i.e., Reading), Pennsylvania. The novel explores the relationship between the depressive Caldwell and his anxious son... One thing George and Peter share is the desire to get out, to escape their hometown. Updike drew on the myths of antiquity in an attempt to turn a modern and common scene into something more profound, a meditation on life and man's relationship to nature and eternity. George is both the Centaur Chiron and Prometheus (some readers might see George's son Peter as Prometheus), Mr. Hummel, the automobile mechanic, is Hephaestus (AKA Vulcan); and so forth. The novel's structure is unusual; the narrative shifts...from describing the characters as George, Vera, and the rest, to the Centaur, Venus, and so forth" Neat tight copy.
Synopsis
John Hoyer Updike was an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic. His novel, The Centaur, won the National Book Award in 1964. It is the story of George Caldwell, an aging, self-deprecating high school teacher and his bewildered son Peter, taking place in a small Pennsylvania town. The two end up spending a few days in town when their car breaks down and then there is a blizzard, stranding them for an additional night. The book compares each character to a character in Greek mythology revealing an exploration in storytelling and stylistic variation. The interweaving of classic myth and small town life is absolutely brilliant.
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Details
- Bookseller
- KALAMOS BOOKS
(CA)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 36661
- Title
- The Centaur
- Author
- Updike, John
- Format/Binding
- Paperback
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good +
- Edition
- First Pbk.Ed.
- Publisher
- Fawcett Crest
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1964
- Keywords
- Ficton American
- Bookseller catalogs
- Fiction; Greek Influence on Literature;
Terms of Sale
KALAMOS BOOKS
All books are carefully described. If the book you receive does not match,then please contact Kalamos Books, so we can address the problem. We can accept payments (Cash, Cheques, Postal Orders and International Money Orders)in your choice of the following currencies - CAN $, US$, UK Pounds and Euros - enquire for quotes at the current rate of exchange.
About the Seller
KALAMOS BOOKS
Biblio member since 2004
STREETSVILLE, Ontario
About KALAMOS BOOKS
Kalamos Books specializes in Books about Greece (Ancient,Byzantine and particularly Modern Greece) and also books about the Balkans & Ottoman Turkey. As well there is a wide selection of Fiction including stories set in Greece, or by Greek authors, as well as historical novels. We can special order books from Greece and handle library purchase orders for books in Greek. In addition we have interesting travel books about other countries, and have some Canadiana and popular fiction.Ask about antique maps and prints and vintage postcards of Greece.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Tight
- Used to mean that the binding of a book has not been overly loosened by frequent use.
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