First edition | |
Author | Walker Percy |
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Language | English |
Genre | Philosophical fiction |
Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
Publication date | May 15, 1961[1] |
Media type | Print (hardcover, paperback) |
Pages | 242 |
The Moviegoer is thedebut novel byWalker Percy, first published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf in 1961.[2] It won the U.S.National Book Award.[3]Time included the novel in its "Time 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005".[4] In 1998, theModern Library rankedThe Moviegoer sixtieth on its list of thehundred best English-language novels of the twentieth century. It is published in the UK byMethuen.[5]
The novel is heavily influenced by theexistentialist themes of authors likeSøren Kierkegaard, whom Percy read extensively. Unlike many dark didactic existentialist novels (including Percy's later work),The Moviegoer has a light poetic tone. It was Percy's first, most famous, and most widely praised novel, and established him as one of the major voices in Southern literature. The novel also draws on elements ofDante by paralleling the themes of Binx Bolling's life to that of the narrator of theDivine Comedy.
In addition to its existentialist character, the novella is also deeplyphenomenological.
The Moviegoer tells the story of Jack "Binx" Bolling, a young stock-broker in postwarNew Orleans. The decline of tradition in theSouthern United States, the problems of his family and his traumatic experiences in theKorean War have left him alienated from his own life. He day-dreams constantly, has trouble engaging in lasting relationships, and finds more meaning and immediacy in cinema and literature than in his own routine life.
The loose plot of the novel follows the Moviegoer himself, Binx Bolling, in desperate need of spiritual redemption. AtMardi Gras, he breaks out of his caged everyday life and launches himself on a journey, a quest, in a "search" for God. Without any mental compass or sense of direction, he wanders the streets of New Orleans'French Quarter, andChicago, and then travels theGulf Coast, interacting with his surroundings as he goes. He has philosophical moments, reflecting on the people and things he encounters on the road.[6] He is constantly challenged to define himself in relation to friends, family, sweet-hearts, and career despite his urge to remain vague and open to possibility.
"What is the nature of the search?" you ask. Really it is very simple; at least for a fellow like me. So simple that it is easily overlooked. The search is what anyone would undertake if he were not sunk in the everydayness of his own life.
Knight of Cups (2015) appears to be partly inspired by the novel.[7]
During the 1980s,Terrence Malick worked on a screen adaptation, but eventually dropped it.[8] In December 2005, months after the destruction caused byHurricane Katrina, Malick explained, "I don’t think the New Orleans of the book exists anymore."[9]
Awards | ||
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Preceded by | National Book Award for Fiction 1962 | Succeeded by |