- Mass Market Paperback: 478 pages
- Publisher: Fawcett; 1st Fawcett Crest Ed edition (1 Jan 1991)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0449206920
- ISBN-13: 978-0449206928
- Product Dimensions: 17.5 x 10.7 x 2.7 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 393,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Joyce Carol Oates s Wonderland Quartet comprises four remarkable novels that explore social class in America and the inner lives of young Americans. As powerful and relevant today as it on its initial publication, them chronicles the tumultuous lives of a family living on the edge of ruin in the Detroit slums, from the 1930s to the 1967 race riots. Praised by The Nation for her potent, life-gripping imagination, Oates traces the aspirations and struggles of Loretta Wendall, a dreamy young mother who is filled with regret by the age of sixteen, and the subsequent destinies of her children, Maureen and Jules, who must fight to survive in a world of violence and danger. Winner of the National Book Award, them is an enthralling novel about love, class, race, and the inhumanity of urban life. It is, raves The New York Times, a superbly accomplished vision. Them is the third novel in the Wonderland Quartet. The books that complete this acclaimed series, A Garden of Earthly Delights, Expensive People, and Wonderland, are also available from the Modern Library. Since 1917 The Modern Library prides itself as The modern Library of the world s Best Books . Featuring introductions by leading writers, stunning translations, scholarly endnotes and reading group guides. Production values emphasize superior quality and readability. Competitive prices, coupled with exciting cover design make these an ideal gift to be cherished by the avid reader.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
About the Author
Joyce Carol Oates has written some of the most enduring fiction of our time, including the national bestsellers We Were the Mulvaneys and Blonde (a finalist for the National Book Award), and the New York Times bestsellers The Falls (winner of the 2005 Prix Femina) and The Gravedigger's Daughter. Elaine Showalter, a professor emerita at Princeton University, is the author of numerous books, including the groundbreaking A Literature of Their Own: British Women Novelists from Bronte to Lessing. A frequent radio and TV commentator in the United Kingdom, she has chaired the Man Booker International prize jury and judged the National Book Awards and the Orange Prize. She divides her time between Washington, D.C., and London.
--This text refers to the
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First Sentence
One warm evening in August 1937 a girl in love stood before a mirror. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
One warm evening in August 1937 a girl in love stood before a mirror. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This is one of Ms. Oates' earlier works set in Detroit.
It is a book of excellence as one generation is rolled into the other. A very true to life book where as the characters advance in reaching their destiny however small, they are always setbacks and stumbling blocks, not allowing them to see the light at the end of the tunnel, reminding us of the pathways we've walked before and are forever walking in. This was a very emotional book for me with great depth to the story line.
It is a book of excellence as one generation is rolled into the other. A very true to life book where as the characters advance in reaching their destiny however small, they are always setbacks and stumbling blocks, not allowing them to see the light at the end of the tunnel, reminding us of the pathways we've walked before and are forever walking in. This was a very emotional book for me with great depth to the story line.
It is a long book and should be read with patience in order to get the gist of the Detroit the author penetrates in that century with it's poverty, racial and violent concerns. You won't forget Maureen Wendall who some will empathise with you see her desires and the things she yearns for with all her heart and soul.......and you won't forget her brother Jules either...intelligent and so very intricate you wonder what he is about to do next with that brain that never stops ticking. I cannot help saying what a brilliant writer I have found in Ms. Oates, and I encourage those who love her as much as I do to try THEM. I recommend it to all her favourite readers who haven't read this one as yet.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
In this novel the characters seemed to be desperately trying to escape from each other, but unable to escape the past they share together. Joyce Carol Oates descriptions of the characters lives are vivid and oftentimes disgusting. The characters rarely seem to be able to make the right choices and are often victims of circumstance. Still, I was constantly intrigued during the novel. This novel is an excellent view of the sixties. Another wonderful novel by Oates is "Because It Is Bitter and Because It Is My Heart," whih is set in approximately the same time period. "Because it is Bitter..." adds the aspect of race relations and has a more solid ending than "Them."
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This book describes the state of American turmoil during the 1960's with vivid imagery. Being in my mid-twenties and not alive to experience the 1960's, I feel this book provides an important account of these times. I truly felt the eerie adrenaline-induced excitement of this tumultous period. Jules' character chilled me to the bone; his evil sexuality reminiscent of the character of Arnold Friend in 'Where are You Going, Where Have You Been?" This is a beautifully written book, one of JCO's finest works to date.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
"Look at Maureen, she's going to make someone a good wife."
I was disappointed with this, looking forward to reading an early effort of this very good, and very prolific writer. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Eileen Shaw
True reality fiction
I liked this story for two reasons. One, because I think that the people are very real. Despite the fact that so much of the plot seems far fetched the characters are always... Read more
Published on 31 Jan 1999
A departure for Oates
Them is a great book. Don't get my wrong. I enjoyed it very much and was fascinated by even the characters that didn't arouse much sympathy. But it also took me by surprise. Read more
Published on 5 Mar 1997
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