Malcolm

By James Purdy

Book Overview

Long out of print, James Purdy?s novel Malcolm, first published in 1959, established Purdy as ?one of the greatest writers produced in America during the past hundred years (Dame Edith Sitwell). Malcolm is the bizarre story of an innocent young man of ?exceptional beauty? who becomes involved in a series of comic and poignant adventures. Taken under the wing of a famous astrologer, an undertaker, a billionaire, a midget painter, a jazz queen, America?s foremost chanteuse, and a tattoo artist, among others, Malcolm is led endlessly from protector to protector in search of his missing father, until the journey itself becomes his undoing.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1852423684
• ISBN13: 9781852423681
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Serpent's Tail
• Length: 196 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.8" x 5.0"

Customer Reviews

Fantastic

Purdy always crafts such unique, enthralling characters. (And the names! I must mention this due to the importance I personally place on names.) Purdy, you can tell, searches for the characters’ names, rather than just crafting a person and plastering them with any old name without a single thought as to whether or not it represents the character. Purdy cares about the characters, and that just stands to make his work all the more significant and impactful.

A Classic

One of the most poised yet hilarious books I have ever read. A shame the man has never received the literary recognition he deserves.