--- In
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "m23to53"
<library.john@...> wrote:
> Am I right in saying that Caldwell's later books
were first published
> in the UK? I am sure I read it in an aticle on him
which said that it
> was a sign that he had lost the interest of American
readers.Seems a
> sad ending to his career if true. Can anyone
confirm?
> I remember in my early days in the library then that
we always ordered
> his books pre-publication, as our stock selector saw
him as a classic
> reprepresentative of American literature - though
the issues the books
> got did not exactly show that readers felt the
same.
>
I don't know the answer to your question about first
publications, but I do recall vividly that his last novel,
Annette, was really nasty. I can't imagine it attracting the
masses. I think he's good enough to be considered a classic,
popularity be damned. Even Faulkner doesn't have that many
readers, and I suspect he was never very popular. Caldwell
may be a notch below Faulkner, but at his best he is roughly
in the same league.
Best,
mrt
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