He was an activist and writer who created many books that won awards for both fiction and nonfiction. Shadow country is a bold new rendering of those books. Subtitled a new rendering of the watson legend, it is a semifictional account of the life of scottishamerican edgar bloody watson, a real florida sugar cane planter and alleged outlaw who was killed by a posse of his neighbors in the remote ten thousand islands region of southwest florida. Shadow country trilogy 3 by matthiessen, peter and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read shadow country.
A new rendering of the watson legend, matthiessen says his initial manuscript ran to more than 1,500. Peter matthiessen books list of books by author peter. The fiction of peter matthiessen is the reason a lot of people in my generation decided to be writers. Shadow country is a great big book that i read in the early spring of this year as american.
Watson, the everglades sugarcane planter and notorious outlaw of the wild florida frontier. Shadow country by peter matthiessen won the national book award for fiction in 2008. Enormous in scope as well as page count, it is really three books in one. Peter matthiessen has written eight novels, including at play in the fields of the lord nominated for the national book award and far tortuga, and also a book of. His son lucius investigates the killing which has come to obsess him.
From his everglades trilogy peter matthiessen has coaxed a masterpiece. Shadow country by peter matthiessen, paperback barnes. Shadow country, his distillation of the earlier trilogy, is his transmutation of it to represent his original vision. Shadow country by peter matthiessen, 9780857389, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Free download or read online shadow country pdf epub book. Shadow country is peter matthiessens reimagining of the legend of e. The news of it, this peculiar amalgamation called shadow country, washes up against wary skepticism in florida. Vividly capturing the american hinterlands at the turn of the twentieth century, it traces the story of watson through eyewitness perspectives as he drives himself relentlessly toward his own violent end at the hands of neighbors. National book award, fiction, 2008inspired by a nearmythic event on the wild florida frontier at the turn of the 20th century, shadow country reimagines the legend of the inspired everglades sugar planter and notorious outlaw e. The main characters of this fiction, historical story are. Shadow country is a novel by peter matthiessen, published by random house in 2008.
The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 892 pages and is available in hardcover format. After all, id already ready the previous watson books. Shadow country by peter matthiessen overdrive rakuten. The first edition of the novel was published in 2008, and was written by peter matthiessen. Shadow country is an epic of american rise and descentpoetic, mythic, devastating. He practised zen buddhism and was seen by some as a newage guru. Shadow country has three books that roughly correspond to the earlier separate novels while providing smooth segues between speakers to form an essentially linear account of watsons rise and fall, matthiessen uses his multiple narrators to create tantalizing ambiguities, not so much about the justice of watsons death or even about the facts of his life but about the. Shadow country, by peter matthiessen the independent. The book has been awarded with national book award for. Richard ford peter matthiessen is a brilliantly gifted and ambitious writer, an inspired anatomist of the american mythos.
Watson, lost mans river and bone by bone these i never read and. Peter matthiessens shadow country is an extraordinary literary achievement by one of this countrys best authors of recent times. Shadow country lives up to anyones highest expectations for great writing. Peter matthiessen has 75 books on goodreads with 112801 ratings. But since i am a huge peter matthiessen fan i bought the book anyway.
It is matthiessens masterpiece, and i have no qualms saying it is among the top novels in all of american literature, a book i would stack against moby dick, gatsby, the sun also rises, gravitys rainbow, white noise. Npr coverage of shadow country by peter matthiessen. Subtitled a new rendering of the watson legend, matthiessen has taken his previously separately published books killing mr. Peter matthiessen may 22, 1927 april 5, 2014 was an american novelist, naturalist, wilderness writer, zen teacher and cia officer. Merwin praise for peter matthiessen and the books of the watson trilogy. Peter matthiessen revisits his fictionalized account of the brutal plantation owner edgar j. Peter matthiessens historical novel of floridas western everglades is at nearly 900 pages, still almost not big enough to contain its subject matter. Peter matthiessens great american epickilling mister watson, lost. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. One of his nonfiction classics is the snow leopard, an. Shadow country by peter matthiessen, first edition abebooks. Book one is told variously by the people who knew him and ultimately killed him. Richard ford shadow country, matthiessens distillation of the earlier watson saga, represents his original vision.
Vividly capturing the american hinterlands at the turn of the twentieth century, i. Watson, a planter, and notorious alleged murderer, of the ten thousand islands area of southwest florida. Richard ford shadow country, matthiessens distillation of the. Watson, who drives himself to his own violent end at the hands of his neighbours. A condensation of the watson trilogy, giving three different renderings of the life and death of edgar j. Buy the paperback book shadow country by peter matthiessen at indigo. It is the quintessence of his lifelong concerns, and a great legacy. If youve read matthiessens fiction or nonfiction then you are familiar with his propensity to write two sentences when one might possibly suffice. Shadow country kindle edition by matthiessen, peter. In shadow country, he has taken his three novels from the 1990s about the reallife american outlaw ej watson and reworked them into one. Peter matthiessen s most popular book is the snow leopard. Shadow country is actually a trilogy of books about florida sugar cane planter and outlaw edgar watson all collected in one volume, reedited, and retitled. From his everglades trilogy peter matthiessen has coaxed a masterpiece, a wrenching story of familial, racial and environmental degradation stretching from the civil war to the great depression. Richard ford peter matthiessen is a brilliantly gifted and ambitious writer, an.
Shadow country, book by peter matthiessen paperback. In 2008 he won another national book award for shadow country. Read shadow country by peter matthiessen available from rakuten kobo. Watson, lost mans river and bone by bone was conceived as a single vast mysterious novel, but because of its length, it was originally separated into three books. First edition peter matthiessens great american epic three books killing mr. Shadow country livros na amazon brasil 9780679640196. Time and money well spent, this is another masterpiece. Inspired by a nearmythic event of the wild florida frontier at the turn of the twentieth century, shadow country reimagines the legend of the inspired everglades sugar planter and notorious outlaw e. Peter matthiessen was born in new york city in 1927 and had already begun his writing career by the time he graduated from yale university in 1950. Among the nominees for this years national book award in fiction is a book that some have complained is not exactly new.
It won the national book award for fiction in 2008 and the william dean howells medal in 2010. Mens journal the fiction of peter matthiessen is the reason a lot of people in my generation decided to be writers. Shadow country book by peter matthiessen thriftbooks. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1. Shadow country ebook by peter matthiessen rakuten kobo. Peter matthiessen is the author of more than thirty books and the only writer to win the national book award for both nonfiction the snow leopard, in two categories, in 1979 and 1980 and fiction shadow country, in 2008. Shadow country modern library i wondered why i should read another 900 pages of the mr watson saga. Books by peter matthiessen author of the snow leopard. Peter matthiessens shadow country vies for a national. Set in floridas ten thousand islands region, the novel contains three parts, each corresponding to one of the three source novels originally published. A few basic facts to begin with about this national book.
A new rendering of the watson legend audiobook by peter matthiessen. In shadow country, he has taken his three novels from the 1990s about the real life american outlaw ej watson and reworked them into one. Book i still has that ten thousand islands quality, but shadow country as a whole is like the tamiami trail that crosses the everglades. Shadow country, matthiessens distillation of the earlier watson saga, represents his original vision. Besides at play in the fields of the lord, which was nominated for the national book award, he published six other works of fiction, including far tortuga and killing mister watson.
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