Poor White
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3.8 • 10 Ratings
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Publisher Description
It is a Historical Fiction Book. The book tells that Hugh arose and stood in the moonlight in the cabbage field, his arms still going stiffly up and down. The great length of his figure and his arms was accentuated by the wavering uncertain light. The laborers, aware of some strange presence, sprang to their feet and stood listening and looking. Hugh advanced toward them, still muttering words and waving his arms. Terror took hold of the workers. One of the woman plant droppers screamed and ran away across the field, and the others ran crying at her heels. "Don't do it. Go away", the older of the French boys shouted, and then he with his brothers also ran.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Anderson's story of inventor Hugh McVey, which he originally published in 1920, the year after Winesburg, Ohio , is considered by many to be his finest novel.
Customer Reviews
Hitting His Stride
'Poor White' may be considered by most as Anderson's first successful novel. On the heels of the success of 'Winesburg, OH', a series of short stories, the forced stretching of 'Poor White' into a novel seems apparent. His mode seems similar without the interruption of separate stories. The repeated and lengthy regressions of characters into their childhood did nothing of substance to the story. The keenness of the contrast between Clara and Kate was too soon and not given its due in later developments. The crassness and egotism of Butterworth and Hunter and the evolution of Ed Hall into a similar vein were overdone for effect and left the characters with so little dimension as to be uninteresting in the end. Even so, the book shows Anderson hitting his stride with the promise of better things to come. As with Hemingway who followed, the author's forte is in the short story.