Sherwood Anderson wrote Winesburg, Ohio. This collection of short stories is mentioned in some lists as one of the 100 best American novels. The author grew up in a small town in Ohio. The book contains 22 separate stories. A young newspaperman, George Willard, is mentioned in most of the stories. One thing all the characters in the book had in common is that they were lonely and despairing. Several people were suffering from mental health issues. Or maybe the author had mental health issues. In his descriptions of people he would always include some indication of poor health. If a woman had a trim figure and straight shoulders, her face would be blotchy. If a man was tall and strong, his fingers had nervous twitches and he could not keep them still. All the stories take place during the 1890's and it is interesting to hear about telegraph operators and people using horses on their farms. I am struck by how many people in Winesburg felt isolated from everyone else.
No comments:
Post a Comment