Look Homeward, Angel

Eugene Gant's journey in Look Homeward, Angel explores family, identity, and the quest for self-discovery in early twentieth-century America.

In Look Homeward, Angel, we follow the life of Eugene Gant, who is born in 1900 to a hard-drinking stone-cutter named Oliver and his entrepreneurial wife, Eliza. Growing up in a small American town, Eugene embodies the struggles of a lonely outsider while also serving as a passionate chronicler of American life. His journey is marked by family tragedies and personal upheavals, ultimately leading him to the realization that to truly forge his own path, he must leave his childhood home behind.

As Eugene navigates the complexities of family dynamics and the weight of expectations, he grapples with his identity and aspirations. The novel paints a vivid picture of early twentieth-century America, capturing the essence of a young man's quest for self-discovery amidst the backdrop of a changing society. Thomas Wolfe's rich prose immerses readers in Eugene's world, making his experiences both relatable and poignant.

This edition of Look Homeward, Angel comes with an introduction by Elizabeth Kostova, the acclaimed author of The Historian. As Wolfe's debut novel, it showcases his profound influence on future generations of writers, including luminaries like Hunter S. Thompson and Philip Roth. The narrative resonates with themes of family, inheritance, and the search for identity, establishing Wolfe as one of the most vital voices in early twentieth-century literature.