Literary Fiction · LightA satire of Boston's upper class, told as a memoir
The Late George Apley
A Beacon Hill gentleman's life, told in the form of a memoir
The Late George Apley is a satire of Boston's upper class in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, told mostly through letters to and from the title character. Wealthy John Apley hires the writer Willing to produce a truthful book about his recently deceased father, George, a Harvard-educated Beacon Hill man.
More about this book
Who
George Apley, a Harvard-educated Beacon Hill WASP; his son John; and Willing, the pompous writer who serves as Apley's biographer.
World
Boston, particularly Beacon Hill.
What makes it different
It was acclaimed as the first serious work by Marquand, who was known for his Mr. Moto spy novels. It won the 1938 Pulitzer Prize and was adapted as a 1944 Broadway play and a 1947 film.
Feel
Dry and comic.
Page count and cover shown for: Selected edition
Behind the book
Marquand was previously known for his Mr. Moto spy novels and other popular fiction, so this book was acclaimed as his first serious work.
Source: Wikipedia
Further reading
- The Late George ApleyWikipedia