Independence day by richard ford, first edition abebooks passion for books. This decent, appealingly bewildered, profoundly observant man is wrenched, gradually and inevitably, out of his private refuge. Independence day is the second of richard fords frank bascombe novels, set several years after the sportswriter. When alice hoffman wrote what ford called nasty things about independence day, he shot a hole. Frank bascombe is no longer a sportswriter, yet hes still living in. Independence day first edition signed richard ford.
In setting, types of characters, plots, point of view and, most importantly, in ever broadening sympathy, ford has, as he remarks in this interview. But franks independence day turns out not as hed planned. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 464 pages and is available in format. How is ford s pervasive use of humor integral to his development of plot and theme. Hailed as a major american novel, independence day is a relentlessly thoughtful, heartwrenching, yet hilarious portrait of an ordinar. Between scott spencers men in black and richard fords independence day, the former is the better novel. We hope they will aid your understanding of a novel that is at once casual and lyric, hilarious and poignant, irreverent and inspiring. Any novel about a middle aged man visiting the baseball hal of fame with his son over the independence day weekend has me hooked from the first page. The novel continues the odyssey of selfdiscovery on which frank embarked in fords. There is a dreariness about the existence period writer richard ford has his character, frank bascombe, stumble through in independence day.
What is the temper of frank bascombes interior monologue as opposed to that of the novels themes. Richard fords literary honour questioned by peers after history of aggressive behaviour. Richard ford will be awarded the library of congress prize for american fiction. Independence day npr coverage of independence day by richard ford. Signed 1st edition 1st printing richard ford independence day. Pdf independence day book frank bascombe free download. A visionary account of american lifeand the longawaited sequel. For some richard ford s second bascombe book will be too introspective, too slow moving. Independence day has been called the definitive novel of the postwar generation, and ford himself has been hailed as one of the finest curators of the great american living museum. For some richard fords second bascombe book will be too introspective, too slow moving. He thought that the whole declaration of independence was an attempt to.
A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. Start a free 30 day trial today and get your first audiobook free. It was followed by the lay of the land 2006 and let me be frank with you 2014. Since then his novels, including the ultimate good luck and wildlife, and his much acclaimed collection of short stories, rock springs, have proved him a much less predictable writer and one harder to categorize. Independence day by richard ford book club discussion. Signed 1st edition 1st printing richard ford independence. His bestknown works are the novel the sportswriter and its sequels, independence day, the lay of the land and let me be frank with you, and the short story collection rock springs, which contains several widely anthologized stories. Richard fords literary honour questioned by peers after.
By independence day he has settled himself in a job in real estate, but has a little sideline in a roadside root beer stall keeping, perhaps, a weather eye on the road out. Listen to independence day by richard ford available from rakuten kobo. Start with his name, perfectly and hopelessly american. This novel is the second in what is now a fourpart series, the first being the sportswriter. Fords book is sustained not by a plot or even by a story but by one mans voice, and in the end the man is not particularly interesting. Frank bascombe, in the aftermath of his divorce and the ruin of his career, has entered an existence period selling real estate in new jersey and mastering the highwire act of normalcy. May 16, 2019 librarian of congress carla hayden announced today that richard ford, author of independence day the first novel to win both the pulitzer prize and the penfaulkner award will receive the library of congress prize for american fiction during the 2019 library of congress national book festival on aug. His promise as a fiction writerstill dwelled upon at lengthcan be the only. Ford is the author now of five novels and a book of short stories, but he is probably best known for the sportswriter 1988, widely praised as a realistic. Equally impressive were the novels and stories of peter taylor, an impeccable social realist, raconteur, and genial novelist of manners who recalled a bygone world in works such as the old forest. But, over one fourth of july weekend, frank is called into sudden, bewildering engagement with life. Independence day by richard ford takes place primarily in the fictional town of haddam, new jersey in 1988.
In near fine condition, fine for a softcover edition. Independence day was awarded the pulitzer prize and the penfaulkner award for fiction. Richard ford, a mississippi novelist and short story writer who in 1996 won the pulitzer prize for literature and the penwilliam faulkner award for independence day, was born in jackson, mississippi, on february 16, 1944. Nov 05, 2019 richard fords literary honour questioned by peers after history of aggressive behaviour. Discussion of themes and motifs in richard fords independence day. Frank bascombe is no longer a sportswriter, yet hes still living in haddam, new jersey, where he. Start a free 30day trial today and get your first audiobook free. Independence day by richard ford, first edition abebooks. Oct 10, 2006 toward the end of richard fords 1995 novel, independence daywinner of the pulitzer prize, and the second in what is now a trilogy featuring frank bascombefrank relates an observation made. The main characters of this fiction, seduction story are frank bascombe. I found the novel moving and insightful even if frank is a frustrating protagonist at. Independence day is a 1995 novel by richard ford and the sequel to ford s 1986 novel the sportswriter. Library of congress prize for american fiction to be awarded. Feb 12, 2020 influenced later writers such as richard ford in the sportswriter 1986 and its moving sequel, independence day 1995.
Independence day is the second book of richard fords trilogy which won him the coveted pulitzer prize and sent many surprised readers out to purchase the bypassed book 1 the sportswriter. The questions, discussion topics, suggested reading list, and author biography that follow are intended to enhance your groups reading and discussion of richard fords pulitzer prizewinning independence day. Richard ford is a pulitzer prizewinning american novelist and short story writer. How is fords pervasive use of humor integral to his development of. His bestknown works are the novel the sportswriter and its sequels, independence day and the lay of the land, and the short story collection rock springs, which contains several widely anthologized stories. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. He has been called our babe ruth of novelists, and there is good reason. Richard ford, born february 16, 1944 in jackson, mississippi, is an american novelist and short story writer. The art of living your life has a lot to do with getting over loss. Richard ford, mississippi writer and pulitzer prize winner. Possibly the novels serious purpose came as a surprise. This is the second novel in a fourpart series, and it. My greatest human flaw and strength, not surprisingly, is that i can always imagine anythinga marriage, a conversation, a governmentas being different from how it is, a trait that might make one a topnotch trial lawyer or novelist or realtor, but that also seems to produce a somewhat less than reliable and morally feasible human being. Frank is now working in real estate and has come to terms with his status as a divorced man, although he finds it difficult to accept his wife anns remarriage, and worries about how to develop and sustain relationships with his children.
Ford follows his muchcelebrated the sportswriter 1986, picking up the story about six years later, as frank bascombe, now in his 40s, emerges from the midlife crisis depicted in the earlier book. This first edition, signed by richard ford is available at bauman rare books. No longer a writer of any kind, frank sells real estate in haddam, new jersey, during the boom period of the 80s. Like possibly this is one more version of disappearing into your life, the way career telephone company bigwigs, overdutiful parents and owners of wholesale lumber companies are said to do and never know it. In this visionary sequel to the sportswriter, richard ford deepens his portrait of one of the most unforgettable. When we last saw frank bascombe, the angstridden antihero of richard fords highly praised 1986 novel, the sportswriter, he was 38 and. With the sportswriter, in 1986, richard ford commenced a cycle of novels that, 10 years later, after independence day won both the pulitzer prize and the penfaulkner award, was hailed by the times of london as an extraordinary epic that is nothing less than the story of the 20th century itself. In the sportswriter, to which independence day is the sequel, ford s hero frank bascombe inhabited a world that was just large enough for his personal tragedies and philanderings and not an iota. You may have laughed out loud while reading independence day. Independence day, by richard ford the new york times. And in this embattled ascent richard ford captures the mystery of life in all its conflicted glory with grand humor, intense compassion and transfixing power.
The author of five novels and two collections of stories, richard ford was awarded the pulitzer prize and the penfaulkner award for independence day, the first book to win both prizes. Feb 08, 2003 by independence day he has settled himself in a job in real estate, but has a little sideline in a roadside root beer stall keeping, perhaps, a weather eye on the road out. Independence day is the firstperson narrative of frank bascombe, a sportswriter turned realestate agent. Now, a decade later, frank bascombe returns, with a new lease on life and real estate, and. The first edition of the novel was published in 1995, and was written by richard ford. As the sportswriter ends, protagonist frank bascombe is a divorced bachelor, struggling in a job he really doesnt like, drifting from one short term. A visionary account of american life and the longawaited sequel to one of the most celebrated novels of the past. This novel is the second in what is now a fourpart. Your life doesnt mean what you have or what you get. In this visionary sequel to the sportswriter, richard ford deepens his portrait of one of the.
Library of congress prize for american fiction to be. Richard ford was born in jackson, mississippi, in 1944. His voice retains the faint smoky sweetness of his native mississippi. When richard fords first novel, a piece of my heart, was published in 1976, he appeared to be a gifted novelist much indebted to william faulkner. Richard fords independence day is a masterpiece of a. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading independence day. In 2001 he received the penmalamud award for excellence in short fiction. His novel wildlife was adapted into a 2018 film of the same name. Richard ford is the author of six novels and three collections of stories. He has published five novels and three collections of stories, including the sportswriter, independence day, wildlife, a multitude of sins and most recently the lay of the land. Toward the end of richard fords 1995 novel, independence daywinner of the pulitzer prize, and the second in what is now a trilogy featuring frank bascombefrank relates an. Karen robinson, eyevine librarian of congress carla hayden announced today that richard ford, author of independence day the first novel to win both the pulitzer prize and the penfaulkner award will receive the library of congress prize for american fiction during the 2019 library of. Free download or read online independence day pdf epub frank bascombe series book. Independence day by richard ford bigrockformations pot on pulitzer november 30, 2018 3 minutes there is a dreariness about the existence period writer richard ford has his character, frank bascombe, stumble through in independence day.
The time is 1988, and frank is looking forward to the fourth of july weekend, when hes arranged to meet with his girlfriend, sally. A visionary account of american life and the longawaited sequel to one of the most celebrated novels of the past decade independence day reveals a man and our country with unflinching comedy and the specter of hope and even permanence, all of which richard ford evokes with keen intelligence, perfect. He was awarded the pulitzer prize and the penfaulkner award for independence day and the penmalamud award for excellence in short fiction. Richard ford born february 16, 1944 is an american novelist and short story writer. Signed by the author on th condition very fine in a fine dust jacket.