Franklin Library Jane Hamilton books
The Short History of a Prince - signed first edition - 1998
Author Jane Hamilton
As of my last knowledge update in January 2022, Jane Hamilton is an American author known for her novels that explore themes of family, relationships, and the complexities of human emotions. Born on July 13, 1957, in Oak Park, Illinois, Hamilton's literary works have garnered critical acclaim for their insightful portrayal of characters and their ability to delve into the intricacies of everyday life. Jane Hamilton attended Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, where she earned a bachelor's degree. She later pursued a Master of Fine Arts in English and Creative Writing from the University of Iowa.
Hamilton's literary career gained momentum with the publication of her first novel, The Book of Ruth, in 1988. The novel, set in a small Illinois town, tells the story of Ruth, a woman dealing with family struggles, relationships, and personal identity. The Book of Ruth received widespread praise and won the PEN/Hemingway Foundation Award for best first novel. Her subsequent novels continued to explore the complexities of family dynamics and the impact of personal choices. A Map of the World (1994) delves into the consequences of a tragic accident on a family, while The Short History of a Prince (1998) explores themes of loss, grief, and the search for identity.
Jane Hamilton's writing style is often characterized by its introspective and emotionally resonant narrative. Her novels have a quiet yet profound quality, capturing the nuances of human relationships and the challenges individuals face in navigating the complexities of life. In addition to her novels, Hamilton has contributed essays to various publications, showcasing her insights into the creative process and her reflections on literature and life. While her output may not be as prolific as some other authors, Jane Hamilton has earned a reputation as a skilled storyteller with a keen understanding of the human condition. Her works have left a lasting impact on readers and critics alike, solidifying her place in contemporary American literature. For the most recent information on Jane Hamilton, including any new publications or developments in her career, I recommend checking more recent sources.
The Short History of a Prince
Set in Jane Hamilton's signature Midwest, The Short History of a Prince is the story of Walter McCloud and his ambition to become a great ballet dancer. With compassion and humor, and alternating between Walter's adolescent and adult voices, the novel tells of Walter's heartbreak as he realizes that his passion cannot make up for the innate talent that he lacks.
Walter McCloud was constantly eclipsed by those around him - his beautiful, talented friends, his flamboyant relatives, his golden-boy brother, Daniel. He was always the outsider, never the star. But the summer of 1972 was a turning point in the life of fifteen-year-old Walter. It was the time when he realized that his great passion for dance would never be matched by his talent; the time when he discovered the funny agony of first love' and the time when he watched his brother declining into a cruel, untimely death.
It is only when, twenty-four years later, Walter returns to fight for the survival of his childhood Eden, his family's lakeside summer home, that he finally discovers a way to reconcile himself to the past in a way that gives hope for the future.
Introduced as a child to the genius of Balanchine and the lyricism of Tchaikovsky by his stern but cultured aunt Sue Rawson, Walter has dreamed of growing up to shine in the role of the Prince in The Nutcracker. But as Walter struggles with the limits of his own talent and faces the knowledge that Mitch and Susan, his more gifted friends, have already surpassed him, Daniel, his older brother, awakens one morning with a strange lump on his neck that leads to fearful consequences and to Walter's realization that a happy family, and a son's place in it, can tragically change overnight. The year that follows will in fact transform the lives not only of the McClouds but also of Susan, who becomes deeply involved with the sick Daniel, and Mitch, the handsome and supremely talented dancer with whom Walter is desperately in love. Into this absorbing narrative Hamilton weaves a place of almost mythical healing, the family's summer home at Lake Margaret, Wisconsin, where for generations the clan has gathered on both happy and unhappy occasions.
Only a writer of Jane Hamilton's sensitivity and humanity could do justice to this moving story of the torments of sexuality and the redemptive power of family and friendship. This book confirms her place as a preeminent novelist of our time.
Walter McCloud is a boy with dreams unlike most. Introduced as a child to the genius of Balanchine and the lyricism of Tchaikovsky, Walter has always aspired to be a dancer. As he grows older, it becomes clear that despite his desire, he lacks the talent, and he faces the painful knowledge that his more gifted friends have already surpassed him.
Soon, however, that pain is overshadowed when his older brother, Daniel, finds a strange lump on his neck and Walter realizes that a happy family can change overnight. The year that follows transforms the McClouds, as they try to hold together in the face of the fearful consequences of Daniel's illness, and Walter makes discoveries about himself and his friendships that will change him forever.
Decades later, after Walter has left home and returned, he must come to terms with the memories of that year, and grapple once and for all with the challenge of carving out a place for himself in this all-too-familiar world.
A moving story of the torments of sexuality and the redemptive power of family and friendship, The Short History of a Prince confirms Jane Hamilton's place as a preeminent novelist of our time.
"Jane Hamilton has removed all doubt that she belongs among the major writers of our time." - San Francisco Chronicle
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