Later novels and stories : the Château ; So long, see you tomorrow ; stories and improvisations, 1957-1999

Very enjoyable reading.

Readers everywhere are indebted to the Library of America for publishing such beautiful editions of works by every kind of American writer. This was never more true than in the case of the two volumes of works by William Maxwell, a writer who could say so much in such deceptively spare prose. This second volume includes the short novel "So Long, See You Tomorrow." I cannot imagine anyone reading that work--especially the final paragraph--without experiencing an overpowering sense of sadness and regret. The narrator, now an old man, wonders whether the tragedy his schoolmate experienced "... finally begin to feel less real, more like something he dreamed, so that instead of being stuck there he could go on and by the grace of God lead his own life, undestroyed by what was not his doing."

I have read only one of the novels (So, Long...) and a few of the stories so far, but it is already clear that Maxwell was a master writer. A novelist recommended this to me because the set-up of So Long is similar to that of Phillip Roth's American Pastoral that I had just read. Both are worth your time. Maxwell's writing is pristine: it would be hard to find anything I would change in it. Graduate students of American Literature are probably familiar with Maxwell, but I was not. If you have gotten far enough to be reading this review, buy the book.

This is a wonderful collection of works by one of America's greatest writers! The story "So Long, See You Tomorrow has, indelibly, become a major part of my love of great literature. That story, now taught in U.S. colleges and universities, should be read by everyone! .

I bought this collection because it contained So Long, See You Tomorrow. I had seen a review in the Washington Post Book Review that said "Air flows in and out of it -- it is simply a masterpiece." With such a review I had to have it. I wasn't disappointed. Though short, it is not an easy read, however. Also, don't give it to anyone that needs cheering up.

The weight, page weight, print size - all the physical aspects of this book are pleasing to the touch/site.The two longer stories, especially "So Long, See You Tomorrow", are great reads. The shorter works are somewhat interesting, but seem to be rather pointless compared to the longer pieces.

Not for nothing this man is a recognized master of the short story form.

There's so much to browse, read, reread, and love in this volume. It's worth having just for So Long, See You Tomorrow (good to have a durable edition of something that calls for so many readings); the stories and improvisations are absorbing as well.I just finished reading So Long, See You Tomorrow for the second time, so my mind is filled with it. I can think of few works with such subtle strangeness and soul. It takes you into a part of the conscience that doesn't get visited often--the part that knows how much damage can be done through minor, seemingly trivial acts--and builds from this a neighborhood of lives, real and fictional at once, with geography that expands and breaks. The style is so gentle and soft-spoken that you don't realize what's happening to you as you read.I haven't read all of the shorter pieces yet, but there's one treat after another, from "The Game of Chess" to "The Lamplighter" (quoted in the title of this review). Accustomed to the shortage of time for reading (except in preparation for a class that I am taking or teaching), I find that this book turns things around. When it's in my hands, I don't have time to do anything but read, until the reminders of deadlines get too loud.

Muy bonita edición