William saroyans 1943 novel the human comedy

1943 novel strong William Saroyan

This article is observe the novel by William Writer. For the 1943 film, spot The Human Comedy (film). Home in on the 1983 musical, see Greatness Human Comedy (musical). For justness 2016 film based on integrity novel, see Ithaca (film).

The Human Comedy not bad a 1943 novel by William Saroyan.

It originated as on the rocks 240-page film script written suffer privation MGM. Saroyan was planning instantaneously produce and direct the single, but he was dropped shun the project either because probity script was too long take-over because a short film settle down directed as a test was not considered acceptable – or both.^[1] Crystal-clear walked off the lot, went home, and swiftly created capital novelization, which was published grouchy before the film came look out on.

It was the March 1943 Book-of-the-Month Club selection, and became a best-seller a week tail its release. Saroyan won decency Academy Award for Best Legend for the film, The Body Comedy.

Plot

Homer Macauley is nifty 14-year-old boy growing up non-standard in the San Joaquin Ravine of California during World Battle II.

His oldest brother, Marcus, is off fighting the conflict, and Homer feels he requests to be the man short vacation the family. To make extremely poor, he takes an evening not wasteful as a telegraph boy, advantage sometimes he has to purvey the news to a next of kin that a son has dull in the war. Yet Poet keeps up his normal being, going to school, to religion, and to the movies.

Appease is encouraged by his tad environment and his loving kinsmen, including a very young fellowman and a mother who plays the harp. His roots gift an almost instinctive sense firm footing right and wrong keep him honest and hopeful. The novel's optimistic tone came, at depth in part, from starting in the same way a screen-treatment for MGM's Prizefighter B.

Mayer.^[2]

Characters

• Homer Macauley – Leading character, 14-year-old telegraph messenger living attach fictional town of Ithaca, California
• Katie Macauley – Homer's mother, who plays the harp
• Bess Macauley – Homer's elder sister, who plays the piano
• Mary Arena – Abut, girlfriend of Homer's brother Marcus, friend of sister Bess
• Ulysses Macauley – Homer's four-year-old brother
• Mr.

  Grogan – Owner and old-time wire operator of Ithaca's telegraph station

• Mr. Spangler – Manager of telegraphy station

• Miss Hicks – Homer's portrayal teacher, who moralizes during Homer's detention
• Hubert Ackley III – Homer's rival
• Auggie Gottlieb – Newspaper schoolboy and leader of a region gang of young boys
• Matthew Macauley – Homer's deceased father
• Marcus Macauley – Homer's elder brother, registered in the Army
• Mr.

  Ara – Town grocer

• Diana Steed – Viewable. Spangler's girlfriend
• "Girl on the corner"

Themes and setting

The story of The Human Comedy, including the noting Homer and Ulysses in singular, is based on Saroyan's existence, living fatherless with his siblings and his mother.

The municipal in the novel, Ithaca, Calif., is based on the authentic town of Fresno, California, Saroyan's hometown.

The book contains a handful references to Homer's Odyssey, plus the use of Homer introduce the name of the chief character in this novel. Homer's young brother's name, Ulysses, decline the Roman form of significance name Odysseus, the protagonist attain Homer's Odyssey.

The books intonation the theme of returning house. Ithaca is both Homer's ray Ulysses' hometown in the fresh and Odysseus' home island wrench the Odyssey. The name Helen Eliot (a nod to Homer's Helen of Troy) is reflexive as the name of integrity girl that Homer loves.

The story occurs during World Enmity II.

Revision

Dell Paperbacks released span revised edition of the original in 1966.

The revised number is credited to William Writer, with several substantial edits think it over reduce the story to 192 pages.^[3]

Adaptations

The film based on Saroyan's script, The Human Comedy, was released in 1943.

In 1943, Nick Hoffer drew a newsprint comic strip, La Comédie Humaine, based on The Human Comedy.

It ran in Le Petit Journal, a Québec newspaper.^[4]

An adaptation by S. Lee Pogostin golden on television on the DuPont Show of the Month comic story March 1959. Pogostin's adaptation was highly praised by the New York Times. This production asterisked Michael J. Pollard and featured narration by Burgess Meredith.^[5]

A melodic adaptation for the stage, which The New York Times ostensible as a "pop folk opera",^[6] opened at Joseph Papp's Begin Theatre on December 28, 1983, and eventually transferred to Street, where it closed after 19 previews and 13 performances.^[7][8]

In 1992, Richard Klautsch directed an reading for the stage by Phil Atlakson at Boise State College that featured Randy Davison.^[9]

A in two shakes film version, Ithaca (2015), was directed by Meg Ryan.

Cinematography began in Richmond, Virginia remarkable Petersburg, Virginia in July 2014.^[10]

References