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Look Homeward, Angel Paperback – October 10, 2006

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 1,684 ratings

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The spectacular, history-making first novel about a young man’s coming of age by literary legend Thomas Wolfe, first published in 1929 and long considered a classic of twentieth century literature.

A legendary author on par with William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor, Thomas Wolfe published
Look Homeward, Angel, his first novel, about a young man’s burning desire to leave his small town and tumultuous family in search of a better life, in 1929. It gave the world proof of his genius and launched a powerful legacy.

The novel follows the trajectory of Eugene Gant, a brilliant and restless young man whose wanderlust and passion shape his adolescent years in rural North Carolina. Wolfe said that
Look Homeward, Angel is “a book made out of my life,” and his largely autobiographical story about the quest for a greater intellectual life has resonated with and influenced generations of readers, including some of today’s most important novelists. Rich with lyrical prose and vivid characterizations, this twentieth-century American classic will capture the hearts and imaginations of every reader.
"All the Little Raindrops: A Novel" by Mia Sheridan for $10.39
The chilling story of the abduction of two teenagers, their escape, and the dark secrets that, years later, bring them back to the scene of the crime. | Learn more

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“In 1949, when I was sixteen, I stumbled on Thomas Wolfe, who died at thirty-eight in 1938, and who made numerous adolescents aside from me devotees of literature for life. In Wolfe, everything was heroically outsized, whether it was the voracious appetite for experience of Eugene Gant, the hero of his first two novels, or of George Webber, the hero of his last two. The hero's loneliness, his egocentrism, his sprawling consciousness gave rise to a tone of elegiac lyricism that was endlessly sustained by the raw yearning for an epic existence—for an epic American existence. And, in those postwar years, what imaginative young reader didn't yearn for that?” -- Philip Roth

"Language as rich and ambitious and intensely American as any of our novelists has ever accomplished." -- Charles Frazier, author of
Cold Mountain and Thirteen Moons

"
Look Homeward, Angel is one of the most important novels of my life. . . . It's a wonderful story for any young person burning with literary ambition, but it also speaks to the longings of our whole lives; I'm still moved by Wolfe's ability to convey the human appetite for understanding and experience." -- Elizabeth Kostova, author of The Historian

"Wolfe made it possible to believe that the stuff of life, with all its awe and mystery and magic, could by some strange alchemy be transmuted to the page." -- William Gay, author of
The Long Home

"As so many other American boys had before and have since, I discovered a version of myself in
Look Homeward, Angel, and I became intoxicated with the elevated, poetic prose." -- Robert Morgan, author of Gap Creek

About the Author

Thomas Wolfe (1900–1938) was born in Asheville, North Carolina, and educated at the University of North Carolina and Harvard University. He taught English at New York University and traveled extensively in Europe and America. Wolfe created his legacy as a classic American novelist with Look Homeward, Angel; Of Time and the River; A Stone, a Leaf, a Door; and From Death to Morning.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scribner; First Edition (October 10, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 544 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0743297318
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0743297318
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1010L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.25 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.5 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 1,684 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
1,684 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book offers insightful content and visuals that make it a timeless classic. They describe it as beautiful and breathtaking, with local color. However, some readers find the length too long and boring. Opinions differ on the writing quality, with some finding it beautiful and creative, while others consider it wordy and difficult to read. There are also mixed opinions on the plot, with some finding it epic and moving forward, while others consider it boring and dragged out.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

92 customers mention "Value for money"74 positive18 negative

Customers find the book a good value for money. They describe it as an interesting and well-written novel with brilliant writing. The first couple of pages are good, and the book is considered a classic work of American literature.

"...I certainly recommend it to budding fiction writers. Hemingway once said prose should be structure, not interior decoration...." Read more

"A superb work. Rhapsodic, drunk on language, always moving forward but nearly plotless. As a poet, I recognized the intoxication with language first...." Read more

"...Each person, even if only given a short time on the stage of this fabulous novel, is as rich and vivid as a person would be living their life before..." Read more

"...Nothing can be said about a book this spectacular and real except that it's an under-appreciated gem...." Read more

33 customers mention "Insight"30 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the book's insights and engaging writing style. They find it fascinating, enlightening, and a feast for the mind. The story is captivating and explores personal growth, coming-of-age, and family dynamics. The subject matter sounds interesting and the language is rich.

"...But it's also a window into a life of zest, of eagerness to live, and of a planet that was fertile and birthing new life in abundance...." Read more

"...This is a good novel about the complexities of family life from someone who had below-average experience with one...." Read more

"...A timeless story of personal growth, coming of age and family dynamics. Well worth the read." Read more

"...Would I recommend it? Not really. But it's such a rich mine, an author finding his way into his own style and coming to grips with his upbringing,..." Read more

29 customers mention "Classic content"29 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the classic content of the book. They find it timeless, enjoyable, and interesting even today. The writing is described as vivid and engaging, though in a period style. It tells a story that spans several generations with characters that grip readers.

"...After all these years, still a classic, well worth reading for the first time or for another time...." Read more

"This massive, epic autobiographical novel is of course an American classic that has influenced other great free thinking American writers...." Read more

"Thomas Wolfe’s Look Homeward, Angel is a period piece, an autobiographical wandering through a time and place, its language the rich residue of the..." Read more

"Wolff is a great writer and he tells a story that spans several generations with characters who grab you by the collar in an ordinary and..." Read more

21 customers mention "Visual quality"21 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's visual quality. They find it beautiful, honest, and brilliant with touches of brilliance. They appreciate the local color and characters, especially old Gant. The book is a long but very memorable portrait of a North Carolina family.

"This novel is alternately breathtaking and mortifying. It is an epic narrative, an epic piece of description. Yet it has no narrative arc...." Read more

"Wolfe grabs my mind and plunges it deep into glorious words, pictures, people and places so that I'm thrilled and captivated...." Read more

"...It's the most visual and honest portrayal of growing up I've ever seen...." Read more

"...His ability to capture mood, colors, feelings and emotions in the depths of the human heart and soul, in and out of family relationships, is..." Read more

131 customers mention "Writing quality"87 positive44 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality. Some find it beautiful and creative, with vivid descriptions of people and scenes. Others found the prose wordy, complex, and difficult to read.

"...novel is Wolfe's first book and as it turns out, an autobiographical account of his own life but told as the coming-of-age story that chronicles the..." Read more

"...It is mainly just a 500-page piece of description, albeit extraordinarily vivid description. Wolfe never met an adverb he didn't like...." Read more

"...It's not boring, but the writing is archaic and almost seems like Wolfe is purposely trying to be hick. He uses words like "ambuscaded."..." Read more

"A superb work. Rhapsodic, drunk on language, always moving forward but nearly plotless. As a poet, I recognized the intoxication with language first...." Read more

51 customers mention "Plot"21 positive30 negative

Customers have differing views on the plot. Some find it engaging with an epic narrative and compelling vignettes, while others feel the story drags out and loses clarity due to excessive explanations.

"Purple prose. Unsympathetic characters. Depressing settings. No plot. What’s to like?" Read more

"This novel is alternately breathtaking and mortifying. It is an epic narrative, an epic piece of description. Yet it has no narrative arc...." Read more

"...It was long and boring." Read more

"...Rhapsodic, drunk on language, always moving forward but nearly plotless. As a poet, I recognized the intoxication with language first...." Read more

20 customers mention "Character development"8 positive12 negative

Customers have mixed views on the character development. Some find the characters rich and colorful, while others find them uninteresting and unconvincing. The book chronicles the lives of unlikable characters.

"Purple prose. Unsympathetic characters. Depressing settings. No plot. What’s to like?" Read more

"...detail about rural life in the early 20th century and the colorful cast of characters from his family to the townsfolk of fictional Altamont, North..." Read more

"...So hang in there . The protagonist was rather unlikeable ,which can make it hard to stick with it ...." Read more

"...on the ranging prose, the familiar yet strange story, the insane yet stable characters, and the rapidly changing environment of the early 20th..." Read more

12 customers mention "Length"0 positive12 negative

Customers find the book too long and boring. They mention it's dull with frequent use of long words they had never heard of.

"...It was long and boring." Read more

"...LIKE FINDING JEWELS ON A SANDY BEACH. THE BOOK IS LONG AND AT TIMES PLODDING BUT IT WAS WORTH IT JUST TO READ THE PERFECTLY CAPTURED INNER THOUGHTS..." Read more

"...Though very long I never found it boring...." Read more

"A long book, but I couldn't abandon it. The author's descriptions were very long and very detailed, but didn't leave any doubt about his meaning...." Read more

Mangled upon Arrival
1 out of 5 stars
Mangled upon Arrival
I'm looking forward to reading this, but the book itself (purchased new) arrived mangled in the box. The front cover and first four pages are heavily creased, and the bottom edge and corner look worn. If this had been shipped in a bag/envelope I could have understood, but this came in a box. Very disappointed.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2019
    My introduction to Thomas Wolfe certainly did not disappoint and presented challenges as well. The 500+-page novel is Wolfe's first book and as it turns out, an autobiographical account of his own life but told as the coming-of-age story that chronicles the life of protagonist Eugene Gant. In some of the most beautiful poetic prose I have ever read, we follow the life of Eugene in his quest to understand the meaning of life from birth to attending Harvard Graduate school.

    As the story unfolds, Wolfe explains how we enter this world alone and as complete strangers, and as we go through life, he asks whether or not we are still the same strangers and alone when we pass on? Profound questions indeed.

    Since infancy, Eugene has an insatiable thirst for knowledge about life from the real world in which he lives to a greater philosophical understanding of the order of the universe; keep in mind, all of this coming from the mind of a teenager. Told in rich detail about rural life in the early 20th century and the colorful cast of characters from his family to the townsfolk of fictional Altamont, North Carolina, we experience the life through the eyes and interactions of Eugene Gant as he grows from infancy, aware of his surroudings, through adolescence from part-time jobs and private schools to college at the age of 16, just as Wolfe did as well. We celebrate his personal triumphs, sympathize with his challenges and losses but in the end, Eugene discovers where he needs to look to find the answers to all his questions. Although originally published in 1929, I think the same still holds true for all of us as we search for our own meanings of life and where that search has to begin.
    43 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2015
    This novel is alternately breathtaking and mortifying. It is an epic narrative, an epic piece of description. Yet it has no narrative arc. No central conflict, build-up, climax, resolution. It is mainly just a 500-page piece of description, albeit extraordinarily vivid description. Wolfe never met an adverb he didn't like. Apparently his famous editor, Maxwell Perkins, never did, either. Most of the adverbs Wolfe employs are unnecessary, laughable. I can't imagine what Perkins - interestingly Hemingway's editor as well - was thinking when he took his red pen to Wolfe's novel. Perhaps he was so exhausted from excising reams of mere description that he simply threw his pencil in the air and said, "To hell with it. We'll keep the ridiculously redundant adverbs. I'm pooped!" Hemingway once described Wolfe as, roughly, "a glandular giant with the brains and guts of three mice." Read this novel and you'll see what Hem meant. Yet the novel does flow, often beautifully in places. And the enormity of Wolfe's achievement has to be respected. I doubt a more vivid picture of Southern life in the early 20th century exists. The novel is an easy, if sometimes tiresome, read. I certainly recommend it to budding fiction writers. Hemingway once said prose should be structure, not interior decoration. Read this novel and draw your own conclusion.
    11 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2014
    A superb work. Rhapsodic, drunk on language, always moving forward but nearly plotless. As a poet, I recognized the intoxication with language first. A full, rich vocabulary makes every descriptive passage shudder and shimmer with language. I recognized the Americanness in its similarities with Agee's work, twenty-five years later. Compare "Knoxville: Summer 1915" to this. But the final trick was a realization of how much this book is the American version of Joyce's Ulysses, how much the very Irish Leopold Bloom has in common with the very American Eugene Gant. Thirty-five years ago I read Wolfe's You Can't Go Home Again and it shook my foundation. Returning to him after a long hiatus, I am amazed at how much power he still has over me. It may be the year I taught in western North Carolina. The scions of Southern privilege I was educated with at Sewanee in Tennessee. My utter devotion of my life to art and literature, and how it has skewed my view of relationships, especially family, and made friendships so important to me. But I love this book; it is a perfect mirror of my questing, disheveled self.
    14 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2024
    When I was 21 years old I was told to read this book by my acting teacher. The book was readily available at my local bookstore, so I bought a copy. I read the first couple of pages and I just couldn't continue, and put the book down. By that time I was familiar with Southern writers, having read James Dickey. When my teacher asked me if I had read the book yet, I told him honestly I thought the beginning was boring and had not read it.

    Reading this book is on my bucket list so I decided to give it another try. It's not boring, but the writing is archaic and almost seems like Wolfe is purposely trying to be hick. He uses words like "ambuscaded." I've never read the word before and heard anyone say "ambuscaded." I know it was published in 1929, but ambuscaded? It's a little comical. Looking into Wolfe's background he was first a playwright, as well as an actor, having written and produced a few plays that were well-received. He was working on this writing as a play, but his patron encouraged him to turn it into a novel. It might have been better as a play because the Pentland family cast of characters is unbelievable in a novel but would have translated as comical on stage. Too bad. What people will do for love and money?

    I am determined to finish it, but now I understand why my acting teacher directed me to read this book. It's a play in novel form.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Bforsyth
    5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible book
    Reviewed in Canada on June 14, 2021
    Nobody writes like this anymore, which is a terrible shame. A bit depressing, but thoroughly captivative and engrossing. Loved it!
  • Mariana
    2.0 out of 5 stars Descuidados
    Reviewed in Mexico on April 17, 2019
    Llegó con la carátula doblada por la
    Mitad
  • Darlan Veit
    5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece!
    Reviewed in Brazil on January 15, 2019
    I came across this book in one of those serendipitous strikes of existence and will never be the same. Thank you Eugene, thank you ghost, thank you Thomas Wolfe. For those who are looking for a shift in life, Look Homeward is the book for you!
  • Diver Dan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent
    Reviewed in Australia on August 26, 2021
    The Ghost of Ben is the lingering memory, a sibling madness arching across the canopy of time: life does return with all its madness Thomas, in science it’s called genetics. Predispositions are a jail inside of hell. This story makes the point!

    Diver Dan
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in India on January 2, 2016
    Beautiful!!!