Joe Gould's Secret

Name: Joe Gould's Secret
Brand: Penguin Random House NZ
SKU: 9781784875619
Price: 38.0 NZD
Availability: InStock

By Joseph Mitchell

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Summary

Joe Gould's Secret is a compelling biography of a true New York eccentric, Joe Gould, a Harvard-educated vagrant known for his charm and scurrilous ways. Joseph Mitchell chronicles his encounters with Gould from 1932, revealing the man’s claim to be writing an 'Oral History'—a vast collection of recorded conversations. Yet, upon Gould's death, the epic manuscript is mysteriously missing. The book also explores Mitchell's own struggles with writer's block, making it a profound meditation on observation and the nature of real life.
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Joe Gould's Secret

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This biography is ideal for readers interested in New York's cultural history, literary enthusiasts, and those fascinated by unconventional characters and the craft of writing.

‘It's a masterpiece, of course, but more than that it shows that there is some such thing as being a simple observer’ Nicci French, Independent

It was 1932 when Joseph Mitchell first came across Joe Gould, a Harvard-educated vagrant of Greenwich Village.

A compelling portrait of a true New York eccentric and the agony of writer's block. After the publication of this book Joseph Mitchell never published another word during three decades working as a reporter for the New Yorker

Description

A compelling portrait of a true New York eccentric and the agony of writer's block. After the publication of this book, Joseph Mitchell never published another word during three decades working as a reporter for the New Yorker.

'It's a masterpiece, of course, but more than that it shows that there is some such thing as being a simple observer' — Nicci French, Independent

It was 1932 when Joseph Mitchell first came across Joe Gould, a Harvard-educated vagrant of Greenwich Village. Penniless, filthy, scurrilous, charming, thieving, Joe Gould was widely considered a genius. He was working on a book he called an Oral History — the longest book ever written, he claimed, formed of recorded conversations set down in exercise books. Of course, when Gould died, the great epic was nowhere to be found.

This compelling portrait of a true New York eccentric, a man who embodied the disconnected, delusional nature of real life, was Mitchell's personal enquiry into the agony of writer's block.

Joe Gould's Secret can be found in the longer collection of Mitchell's writing Up in the Old Hotel.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

"It's a masterpiece, of course, but more than that it shows that there is some such thing as being a simple observer"—Nicci French, Independent
"A little masterpiece of observation and storytelling"—Ian McEwan

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781784875619

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 October 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 6.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 96g

Pages: 112

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About the Author

Joseph Mitchell was born near Iona, North Carolina, in 1908, and came to New York City in 1929, when he was twenty-one years old. He eventually found a job as an apprentice crime reporter for The World. He also worked as a reporter and features writer at The Herald Tribune and The World-Telegram before landing at The New Yorker in 1938. "Joe Gould's Secret," which appeared on September 26th 1964, was the last piece Mitchell ever published. He went into work at The New Yorker almost every day for the next thirty-one years and six months but submitted no further writing.