Tracing the lives, loves, and aspirations of two couples who move between vermont and wisconsin, it is a work. There are no cliff hangers or huge dramatic events which alter the course of the novel as there are in most books. Follows the marriages and friendship of two academic couples, who meet in madison, wisconsin, over the course of several decades. Wallace stegner 19091993 was a historian, novelist, short story writer, and environmentalist. I first read crossing to safety, my first book by wallace stegner, in august 20. A major theme in crossing to safety is the idea of rescue, especially as it pertains to friendship. It made a deep impression that has lingered over the years. Wallace stegners quiet novel crossing to safety stands as a refreshing retreat in my readers history. Introduction by terry tempest williams afterword by t. In crossing to safety, stegner explores the mysteries of friendship, and it extends stegners distinguished body of work that had already earned him a pulitzer prize for 1971s angle of repose and the national book award for.
Many drivers pay little or no attention at highwayrail crossings they drive across day after day because they never see a train there. Angle of repose penguin twentiethcentury classics wallace stegner. Crossing to safety modern library classics paperback april 9, 2002. Larry morgan and his wife sally are young westerners who, one day in depressionpoor 1937, arrive in madison, wisconsin, where larry is to take a oneyear teaching post at the university of wisconsin. Wallace stegner was a novelist and shortstory writer whose work celebrated the american west and won him the countrys highest literary awards. Wallace stegner bibliography department of history and. A novel of the friendships and woes of two couples, which tells the story of their lives in lyrical, evocative prose by one of the finest american writers of the late 20th century. Crossing to safety by wallace stegner nichole bernier, author of the unfinished work of elizabeth d. Stegners most notable awards include the pulitizer prize for fiction and the national book award for fiction. Crossing to safety tells an american tale of two couples who form a lifelong bond extending from the great. Crossing to safety is an oldfashioned novel about a traditional subject, friendship, and what it means in the lives of four people who experience it over several decades. Stegner spent his childhood in montana, utah, and saskatchewan. Wallace stegner, who also wrote short stories, essays, biographies and histories.
The first rescue is a literal rescue after the shipwreck on the lake. Larry and sally meet sid and charity in 1938 when larry and sid are english professors in madison, wisconsin. Crossing to safety chronicles the 35year friendship amicitia between two couples, which started in madison, wisconsin, in 1937. Crossing to safety by wallace stegner, 9780141188010, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Crossing to safety modern library classics wallace earle stegner on amazon. Crossing to safety by wallace earle stegner book resume. The spectator bird penguin classics wallace stegner.
Crossing to safety by wallace stegner nichole bernier, author of. It gained broad literary acclaim and commercial popularity. Crossing to safety is an excellent novel, one of wallace stegners three or four best. Each stumbles through life supported by the others, yet in that support, mr. I had read it before about seven years ago a library copy recommended to me by a trustworthy colleague who expressed such ardent longing and love for it that there was no question of me not checking it out. Crossing to safety by wallace stegner reading guidebook. Written from the perspective of the aging larry morgan,crossing to safety is a beautiful and deeply moving exploration of the struggle of four people to come to terms with the trials and tragedies of everyday life. She was wallaces coeditor for great american short stories and wrote the afterword for his book remembering laughter. Since then ive read many more books by him, and this is still my favorite stegner.
Apr 07, 2014 crossing to safety is a quiet novel, in terms of having relatively little action. He had lived to the respectable age of 85, after all, had lived to see the wideopen american landscape that he celebrated over a long career as a writer carved by bulldozers, devoured by cities, and filled with people. Stegners novel angle of repose won the pulitzer prize for fiction in 1972, and was directly based on the letters of mary hallock foote later published as the. Two young couples, sid and charity and larry and sally, from different backgroundseast and west, rich and poorbefriend each other in 1937 madison, wisconsin, in an evocative and insightful portrait of family and friendship. Everything you need to know about crossing to safety movie. Since the final scenes of their story are in 1972 at sid and charitys vermont home, their friendship endures thirtyplus years of. The first time i read wallace stegners crossing to safety, i was in my late twenties and hungry for. Wallace stegner 19091993 may be better known for his 1972 pulitzer prizewinner, angle of repose, but its his last novel, crossing to safety, which quietly celebrated its. Dec 07, 2012 wallace stegner 19091993 may be better known for his 1972 pulitzer prizewinner, angle of repose, but its his last novel, crossing to safety, which quietly celebrated its 25th anniversary. Floating upward through a confusion of dreams and memory, curving like a trout through the rings of previous risings, i surface.
Jun 25, 2014 crossing to safety chronicles the 35year friendship amicitia between two couples, which started in madison, wisconsin, in 1937. The first time i read wallace stegners crossing to safety, i was in my late twenties and hungry for insight into what made for a solid relationship, and what made it last. An incandescent novel about love, marriage, aging and being painfully, exuberantly alive. Wallace stegner walked both sides of the line that separates fact from fiction. Tracing the lives, loves, and aspirations of two couples who move between vermont. Crossing to safety a wonderfully written book about lasting friendships, kindness, dominance and much more.
Crossing to safety is a 1987 semiautobiographical novel by wallace stegner. You can lie in your morning bed and fill whole notebooks with schemes and intentions. Jan 29, 2014 written from the perspective of the aging larry morgan, crossing to safety is a beautiful and deeply moving exploration of the struggle of four people to come to terms with the trials and tragedies of everyday life. Crossing to safety wallace stegner introduction bccls. The crossing to safety study guide contains a comprehensive summary and analysis of crossing to safety by wallace stegner.
Dec 05, 2008 not only a book of a lifetime, crossing to safety is a book that comes at the end of a long lifetime of writing. Wallace stegner gives us plenty of possible answers to that question in his novel crossing to safety. Stegner renders the occasional penalties of closeness and loyalty, the occasional perils of asking forgiveness. Its easily as good as the spectator bird, which won a national book. Crossing to safety is a 1987 semiautobiographical novel by the dean of western writers, wallace stegner. Charity and sid lang are a well to do couple, with two children, from the east, while larry who narrates the story and sally morgan are a far poorer couple from the west. In 1972, wallace earle stegner won a pulitzer prize for angle of. Stegner brilliantly brings to life america as it changes, grows older, evolves, and how the langs and the morgans do the same.
Arguably the greatest challenge faced by our foursome certainly, by the morgans is sallys neardeath from polio, which cripples her permanently. Not only a book of a lifetime, crossing to safety is a book that comes at the end of a long lifetime of writing. Crossing to safety wallace stegner fiction 368 pages. Charity and sid lang are a welltodo couple, with two children, from the east, while larry who narrates the story and sally morgan are.
The story of larry and sally morgan and charity and sid langs lifelong friendship, which began during larry and sids teaching jobs at the university of wisconsin in the 1930s. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Stegner takes a long look backat four decades of a foursomes lifein a novel that at moments is beguiling, though at others it labors for its theme. In crossing to safety, stegner explores the mysteries of friendship, and it extends stegner s distinguished body of work that had already earned him a pulitzer prize for 1971s angle of repose and the national book award for. Buy recapitulation by wallace stegner online at alibris. He worked at the university of wisconsin like sid and larry, harvard, and eventually stanford. Using a series of flashbacks in the mind of a writer, larry morgan, throughout a single day, the novel is a reflection on youth, idealism, and the often unarticulated but lifelong process of compromise one must endure while seeking a stable place in the world. Crossing to safety modern library classics wallace stegner. Feb 26, 2011 wallace stegners quiet novel crossing to safety stands as a refreshing retreat in my readers history. Crossing to safety is a quiet novel, in terms of having relatively little action. On the other, he wrote several semiautobiographical novels, including the big rock candy mountain, wolf willow and crossing to safety.
Crossing to safety by wallace stegner fab book club. Crossing to safety by wallace stegner penguin books. Crossing to safety was the selection for my book clubs august meeting crossing to safety by wallace stegner, fiction released 1987 bottom line. Complete summary of wallace stegners angle of repose. Crossing to safety by wallace stegner, paperback barnes. Mary stegner was the wife of wallace stegner and his constant assistant, as well as a violinist with the stanford symphony orchestra. Crossing to safety by wallace stegner as an english major, no one ever made me read any wallace stegner, which is a shame, writes listener sylvia about the novelist. Stegner renders the occasional penalties of closeness and. Crossing to safety, book by wallace stegner paperback. Nichole bernier, author of the unfinished work of elizabeth d. Sep 02, 20 crossing to safety was the selection for my book clubs august meeting crossing to safety by wallace stegner, fiction released 1987 bottom line.