Bert. Szkic do portretu Williama Whartona

The book is a popular monograph study in the life and works of the American novelist and painter William Wharton (Albert du Aime, 1925-2008). William Wharton gained international fame and popularity with his first awarded novel 'Birdy' (1979), his popularity was furthered strengthened by such books as 'Dad' and 'Midnight Clear', all of which were made into movies, while 'Birdy' was also made into a play. Although in the 1990s his popularity in the United States gradually decreased and his later books were not received so well, at the same time Wharton started to enjoy an immense popularity in numerous non-English speaking countries ('Birdy' alone has been translated into 19 foreign languages) which has continued even after his death as new translations are still published. And yet Wharton still remains something of a secret writer with a cult following as available critical sources are minor and often incomplete while the author deserves a critical monograph. My book will be the first attempt in English to deal with this task, offering an evaluation of a critically neglected novelist. Wharton could not be easily put in a cathegory and he escaped the attention of American and British literary scholars. Among reasons one must list here his refusal to adhere to any literary group or generation (Wharton was once defined as “a beat novelist quarter of a century late”) and his adamant refusal to become involved in any public activities or promotion. He may have missed his chance to become a first rate novelist also by delaying his debut until his fifties, still, his oeuvre includes several novels worthy of intrest which brought him an impressive international popularity which amply justifies publication of a critical monograph study