Norwood (novel)

Last updated
Norwood
Norwood (novel).jpg
Author Charles Portis
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre Fiction
Publisher Simon & Schuster
Publication date
1966
Media typePrint
Pages190
ISBN 0879517034
OCLC 1347348

Norwood is the first novel written by author Charles Portis. [1] [2] It was published in 1966 by Simon & Schuster. The book follows its namesake protagonist on a misadventurous road trip from his hometown of Ralph, Texas, to New York City and back. During the trip, Norwood is exposed to a comic array of personalities and lifestyles. The novel is a noteworthy example of Portis's particular skill rendering Southern dialect and conversation.

Contents

The novel was adapted for a 1970 film of the same title. Jack Haley, Jr. directed, and Glen Campbell and Kim Darby starred.

Characters

Some characters and related events are described, below, using in-universe tone.

Critical reception

Kirkus Reviews wrote that "Norwood is just simple enough to be believable and the story has just the right brand of humor." [3] The New York Times called the book "delightfully original," writing that it "orchestrates some of the tinnier strains of today's America into a cool little fugue." [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>True Grit</i> (1969 film) 1969 American western film

True Grit is a 1969 American Western film directed by Henry Hathaway, starring John Wayne as U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn, Glen Campbell as La Boeuf and Kim Darby as Mattie Ross. It is the first film adaptation of Charles Portis' 1968 novel of the same name. The screenplay was written by Marguerite Roberts. Wayne won his only Oscar for his performance in the film and reprised his role for the 1975 sequel Rooster Cogburn.

<i>Cujo</i> Novel by Stephen King

Cujo is a 1981 horror novel by American writer Stephen King about a rabid Saint Bernard. The novel won the British Fantasy Award in 1982 and was made into a film in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Lincoln Rockwell</span> American Neo-Nazi politician (1918–1967)

George Lincoln Rockwell was an American far-right political activist and founder of the American Nazi Party. He later became a major figure in the neo-Nazi movement in the United States, and his beliefs, strategies, and writings have continued to influence many white supremacists and neo-Nazis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donna Tartt</span> American novelist and writer

Donna Louise Tartt is an American novelist and essayist. Her work has been widely critically-acclaimed, and her novel The Goldfinch won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and has been adapted into a film.

<i>At Bertrams Hotel</i> 1965 Miss Marple novel by Agatha Christie

At Bertram's Hotel is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 15 November 1965 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. The UK edition retailed at sixteen shillings (16/-) and the US edition at $4.50. It features the detective Miss Marple.

<i>Norwood</i> (film) 1970 film by Jack Haley, Jr.

Norwood is a 1970 American comedy film that reunites True Grit co-stars Glen Campbell and Kim Darby, also featuring Joe Namath. It was based on the novel of the same title, written by Charles Portis, but updated from the original 1950s setting to 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bing West</span> American writer and governmental official

Francis J. "Bing" West Jr. is an American author, Marine combat veteran and former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs during the Reagan Administration.

<i>Midnight Cowboy</i> (novel) Book by James Leo Herlihy

Midnight Cowboy is a 1965 novel by James Leo Herlihy that chronicles the naïve Texan Joe Buck's odyssey from Texas to New York City, where he plans on realizing his dream of becoming a male prostitute servicing rich women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Portis</span> American author (1933–2020)

Charles McColl Portis was an American author best known for his novels Norwood (1966) and the classic Western True Grit (1968), both adapted as films. The latter also inspired a film sequel and a made-for-TV movie sequel. A newer film adaptation of True Grit was released in 2010.

Ralph Caplan was an American design consultant, writer, and public speaker.

Warren Carl Norwood was an American science fiction novelist, teacher, and musician.

Beaner is a derogatory slur originally from the United States to refer to Mexican or Mexican American descent.

<i>True Grit</i> (novel) 1968 novel by Charles Portis

True Grit is a 1968 novel by Charles Portis that was first published as a 1968 serial in The Saturday Evening Post. The novel is told from the perspective of a woman named Mattie Ross, who recounts the time when she was 14 and sought retribution for the murder of her father by a scoundrel, Tom Chaney. It is considered by some critics to be "one of the great American novels."

Martin Hyatt is an American contemporary writer. Born in Louisiana, he later attended Goddard College, Eugene Lang College, and received an MFA in creative writing from The New School. Hyatt's fiction is usually set in the working-class American South. His work is characterized by its lyricism and realism. He has taught writing at a number of colleges and universities, including Hofstra University and Parsons School of Design. He has taught Creative Writing at School of Visual Arts, St. Francis College, and Southern New Hampshire University.

<i>Mr. Winkle Goes to War</i> 1944 film by Alfred E. Green

Mr. Winkle Goes to War is a 1944 war comedy film starring Edward G. Robinson and Ruth Warrick, based on a novel by Theodore Pratt.

<i>The Crowded Day</i> 1954 British film

The Crowded Day is a 1954 British comedy drama film directed by John Guillermin and starring John Gregson, Joan Rice, Cyril Raymond and Josephine Griffin. The film follows a group of shopgirls working in Bunting and Hobbs, a London department store, during the Christmas shopping season. It was an attempt by Adelphi Films to move into bigger budgeted films. It was the last movie Guillermin directed for the company. It was released in the United States under the title Shop Spoiled.

<i>True Grit</i> (2010 film) 2010 film by Joel and Ethan Coen

True Grit is a 2010 American Western film directed, written, produced, and edited by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. It is an adaptation of Charles Portis' 1968 novel of the same name, starring Jeff Bridges as Deputy U.S. Marshal Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn and Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross. The film also stars Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Barry Pepper. A previous film adaptation in 1969 starred John Wayne, Kim Darby and Glen Campbell.

<i>The Dog of the South</i> Book by Charles Portis

The Dog of the South is a 1979 novel by Charles Portis.

<i>Escape Velocity: A Charles Portis Miscellany</i>

Escape Velocity: A Charles Portis Miscellany is a collection of non-fiction, journalism, short stories, and single play - Delray's New Moon - by the novelist Charles Portis, the author most famous for True Grit. Subjects covered by Portis include the civil rights movement, a road trip in Baja, and Elvis Presley's visit to his aging mother. Some of the works originally appeared in such publications such as the New York Herald Tribune and Saturday Evening Post.

<i>Moonflower Murders</i> Novel by Anthony Horowitz

Moonflower Murders is a 2020 mystery novel by British author Anthony Horowitz and the second novel in the Susan Ryeland series. The story focuses on the disappearance of a hotel employee and utilizes a story within a story format.

References

  1. "True Grit author Charles Portis dies aged 86". the Guardian. February 18, 2020.
  2. Kois, Dan (August 7, 2013). "A Deadpan Comedy by the Author of True Grit". Slate Magazine.
  3. "Norwood". Kirkus Reviews.
  4. Levin, Martin (July 24, 1966). "Reader's Report (Published 1966)" via NYTimes.com.