City of Night (Independent Voices) (Independent Voices) - Softcover

John Rechy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0285638378 ISBN 13: 9780285638372

Publisher: Souvenir Press, 2009

Synopsis

[Rechy’s] tone rings absolutely true, is absolutely his own. . . . He tells the truth, and tells it with such passion that we are forced to share in the life he conveys. . . . This is a most humbling and liberating achievement.” James Baldwin

When John Rechy’s explosive first novel appeared in 1963, it marked a radical departure in fiction, and gave voice to a subculture that had never before been revealed with such acuity. It earned comparisons to Genet and Kerouac, even as Rechy was personally attacked by scandalized reviewers. Nevertheless, the book became an international bestseller, and fifty years later, it has become a classic. Bold and inventive in style, Rechy is unflinching in his portrayal of one hustling youngman” and his search for self-knowledge within the neon-lit world of hustlers, drag queens, and the denizens of their world, as he moves from El Paso to Times Square, from Pershing Square to the French Quarter. Now including never-seen original marked galley pages and an interview with the author, Rechy’s portrait of the edges of America has lost none of its power to move and exhilarate.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

When John Rechy's explosive first novel--now a classic--appeared in 1963, it became a national best-seller and ushered in a new era of gay fiction. Bold and inventive in his account of the urban underworld of male prostitution, Rechy is equally unflinching in his portrayal of one hustling "youngman" and his search for self-knowledge within the neon-lit world of hustlers, drag queens, and men on every kind of make. As the narrator moves from El Paso to Times Square, from Pershing Square to the French Quarter, we get an unforgettable look at life on the edge

"One of the major books to be published since World War II."--The Washington Post

"City of Night is a remarkable book.... Mr. Rechy writes in an authentic jive-like slang: the nightmare existence is explored with a clarity not often clouded by sentimentality and self-pity. The book therefore has the unmistakable ring of candor and truth."--The New York Times Book Review

"Rechy's tone rings absolutely true, is absolutely his own, and he has the kind of discipline which allows him a rare and beautiful recklessness. tells the truth, and tells it with such passion that we are forced to share in the life he conveys. This is a most humbling and liberating achievement."--James Baldwin

"Probably no first novel is so complete, so well held together, and so important as City of Night."--The Houston Post

"[City of Night] illuminates, it stirs the heart, it is unforgettable."--Herbert Gold

John Rechy is the recipient of the PEN-USA West's Lifetime Achievement Award (he was the first novelist to be awarded the prize) and the Publishing Triangle's William Whitehead Lifetime Achievement Award. He is the author of eleven other novels, among them Numbers, Rushes, The Sexual Outlaw (all from Grove Press), The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gomez, and Our Lady of Babylon. His most recent novel, The Coming of the Night, was published by Grove Press in 1999. An NEA recipient, he is also the author of several plays, essays, and short stories. John Rechy lives in Los Angeles.

About the Author:

John Rechy is the author of twelve novels, among them the New York Times bestseller Numbers, the Los Angeles Times bestsellers Rushes and The Coming of the Night, as well as The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gómez and the nonfiction books The Sexual Outlaw and About My Life and the Kept Woman (all from Grove Press). He has received many awards, including PEN Center USA’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the William Whitehead Award for Lifetime Achievement. He lives in Los Angeles

About this edition

• Publisher: Souvenir Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0285638378
• ISBN 13: 9780285638372
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 400