Booth Tarkington: The Final Word

It takes a long time for the full beauty of the flat lands to reach a man's soul; once there, nor hills, nor sea, nor growing fan leaves of palm shall suffice him. (The Gentleman from Indiana, p. 348)			Penrod Penrod and Sam The Magnificent Ambersons The Turmoil
	The Tarkington Appreciation Society? Writing at the Front Porch Republic, John Willson this week semi-seriously proposed the formation of The Booth Tarkington Appreciation Society. His extensive remarks were in part a reaction to Thomas Mallon’s “snotty” piece in the Atlantic Monthly five years ago, which dissed Tarkington mightily. I commented on Mallon’s article on this site as well. Here’s Willson’s opening salvo: “Booth Tarkington was wildly popular during his lifetime and made a lot of money writing, but his reputation went south after his death in 1946. Just as Trollope made a comeback in the late 1940s, Tarkington is due for his comeback about now.” Greg Wright (October 24, 2009) Read The Full News Item The Gentleman from Indiana (1899) Small-town newspaper editor John Harkless incurs the vengeance of local politicos and Klansmen while his melancholy steers him into an unexpected romance. A fine first novel with some wonderful prose and still-relevant themes, if over-plotted. Browse the Full Library	The Ticker The Tarkington Appreciation Society? Gentleman Stage Adaptation Reviewed Play the Greens Where Tark Putted Become a Human Being… Read Penrod Indiana Library Talks Tark More » Ex Libris The Gentleman from Indiana (1899) The Gentleman The Literary Legacy Tarkington Timeline More »
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