‘Look Homeward, Angel’ is the largely autobiographical debut novel from author Thomas Wolfe. Since its publication in 1929, it has been hailed as one of the great American novels and is among the finest pieces of literature to come out of the American South.
The story chronicles the life of Eugene Gant, from his birth through his 19th birthday (when he finally leaves home for good). Raised by a recovering alcoholic father, Eugene is brought up surrounded by literature and poetry and so develops a deep love of books and aspires to become a writer himself. Loosely based on Wolfe’s own life, we follow Eugene as he navigates family strife, young love and his own literary ambitions as he grows up, moves out and begins his career as an author.
Long hailed as a seminal piece of Southern literature, ‘Look Homeward, Angel’ was the launching point of Thomas Wolfe’s brief yet brilliant career.
About the author
Thomas Wolfe (1900-1938) was an American novelist and short fiction writer who was a part of the early 20th century’s ‘Southern renaissance, ‘ in which a number of American authors from Southern states rose to prominence, including William Faulkner, Margaret Mitchell and Tennessee Williams. Wolfe wrote four novels (each of which was massive in both scope and length) as well as a number of short stories, novellas and even dramatic works, but he is best known for his debut novel ‘Look Homeward, Angel, ‘ a thinly disguised autobiographical work that chronicled his early life in North Carolina. Wolfe’s time in the limelight was very brief, however, as he contracted tuberculosis while on a tour of the US and died just a few days short of his thirty-eighth birthday. His work was often cited as inspirational to his fellow Southern writers, but also to Jack Kerouac, Ray Bradbury and Philip Roth.
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