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Introduction: John Jakes' Homeland
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10274 |
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BOOK WORLD
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12 / 1993 |
273 Words |
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HOMELAND
John Jakes
Doubleday, 1993
What is it that makes a novel a best-seller? And what qualities make a novelist's books consistently outsell those of other writers? Two commentators shed light on these queries as we feature John Jakes' new novel Homeland this month.
As journalist Russ Braley sees it, Jakes' career is a study in determination with a measure of luck thrown in. Born in 1932, Jakes had published forty books by the time he was forty years old. The Bastard (1973) was the first to take off on the charts; since then, he has had three books at once on the New York Times best-seller list. Braley's commentary includes Jakes' views on writing and the reasons for his own popularity. Braley feels that Jakes' neatest writing trick is to juxtapose the sordid concerns of life with soaring passages from history, stirring readers' emotions.
Commentator James Thompson roundly criticizes Jakes' style and then speculates on what makes his work so attractive. In Thompson's view, a vivid re-creation of time and place and an energetic optimism compel Jakes' readers.
Homeland, excerpted here, is the story of Pauli, a German boy who immigrates to America and seeks his fortune among the rich and famous of 1890s Chicago. Pauli's story involves him with historical figures and their concerns, the Jakes hallmark. Pauli shares a worldview with notables ranging from Eugene Debs to Buffalo Bill.
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