Of Time and the River (ePub)

Thomas Clayton Wolfe (1900-1938) stands as one of the most prodigious and quintessentially American novelists of the early 20th century. Born in Asheville, North Carolina, Wolfe harnessed his southern roots and expansive linguistic tapestry to carve a niche in the modernist literary movement. Wolfe's narrative style melds a richly detailed characterization with an autobiographical form, as most notably seen in 'Look Homeward, Angel,' his first and critically-acclaimed novel. 'Of Time and the River,' a sequel expanding upon his first novel's protagonist, Eugene Gant, continues Wolfe's exploration into the themes of ambition, restlessness, and the relentless passage of time. Wolfe's prose is characterized by a lyrical intensity, employing stream of consciousness much like his contemporaries, Faulkner and Joyce. Despite an untimely death at thirty-eight due to tuberculosis of the brain, Wolfe's influence endures, especially in his evaluation of American culture and the individual's quest for identity and meaning. His works, while grounded in the personal, resonate with universal truths, making them continually relevant in academic and literary circles. Wolfe's legacy is a testimony to his maxim, 'You can't go home again,' which also became the posthumously released title embodying the constant search for a place in the world.