Most Popular Books by William Gaddis

Gaddis''s last, powerfully memorable novel features an unnamed narrator who is dying in bed, gaping in wonder and amazement at our lost capacity for sacred passion. This volume also includes a selection of Gaddis''s other writings, among them his seminal essay ''The Rush for Second Place'' and commentaries such as ''JR up to date'' and ''On Creative writing and the National Endowment for the Arts''.

Au centre de ce conte d''un comique colossal sur la libre entreprise se tient JR, un gamin de onze ans aux baskets élimées devenu, incognito, un empereur du capitalisme. Obsédé par l''argent, monomane du dollar, acharné du billet vert, JR est la victime tragi-comique de son propre mythe, qui est aussi celui de l''Amérique. Incontournable, inclassable, JR est le chef-d''oeuvre de William Gaddis. Déferlante de mots, oscillant sans choisir entre bouffonnerie et satire, cette fable géante et protéiforme possède le coffre, la force et la férocité des modèles littéraires dont on ne finit jamais d''hériter.

William Gaddis (1831-1908) was a Meagher County, Montana, post trader and cattle and horse breeder. Records consists of correspondence (1881-1889); two daybooks (1874-1880), a freight contract (1879), an account ledger (1871-1876), and a financial journal (1871), from the Gaddis Trading Post at Camp Baker (Fort Logan); appointments as Post Trader and Postmaster (1876, 1879); a stock record book (1871-1940) for Gaddis and Bryan and other Gaddis ranch operations, including entries made by Charles G. Gaddis following his father''s death; and miscellany. [OVERSIZE MATERIALS: 2 volumes].