The beetle leg,

By John Hawkes

Book Overview

The Beetle Leg , John Hawkes's second full-length novel, was first published by New Directions in 1951. After years of underground existence, this brilliant novel is emerging as a classic of visionary... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0006ASUYC
• Release Date: January 1951
• Publisher: New Directions (1951).
• Length: 159 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.

Customer Reviews

recommended by John Gardner

In Gardner's The Art of Fiction he sites two examples of the rare and difficult "lyrical" format: Finnegan's Wake, of course, and The Beetle Leg. Not an easy read, but not so challenging as, say, William Gaddis, a contemporary of Hawkes. (Both authors could be described as genius.) Beetle Leg has a very dreamy quality, along with a definite rhythm within the fragments of non-linear plot. It's like sudden moments of clarity flashing within a sleepy haze of resonating detail. And within that detail is an authenticity and intimacy that is both compelling and haunting Really a stunning piece of work.

Nobody writes like this anymore

This is a surrealistic western, basically, with language so odd, crisp, and surprising that every page has to be savored. Hawkes is a tremendously perceptive writer, whether he's dealing with the violent or the mundane. Readers should give this and THE BLOOD ORANGES a chance. His voice is strange, and takes time to grow on you; but once it does, his books begin to seem like a mixture of poetry and noir.