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Home After Dark

A Novel
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( 3,031 ratings, 500 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Home After Dark tells the story of thirteen-year-old Russell Pruitt, who, after being abandoned by his mother, follows his father to California seeking a brighter future. Set in the 1950s, Russell must navigate the challenges of survival in the rundown town of Marshfield, contending with a sadistic animal killer and hostile local boys. Through evocative and expressive drawings, David Small captures the chaotic and brutal realities of adolescence with psychological insight and moments of hope.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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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 graphic novel is ideal for readers interested in literary graphic fiction, historical settings, and coming-of-age stories dealing with complex themes like identity, family, and social challenges. It will appeal to fans of evocative artwork and mature narratives exploring adolescence in mid-20th century America.

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A savage portrayal of male adolescence gone awry, like no other work of recent fiction or film.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Since the publication of Stitches a decade ago, David Small has emerged as one of the seminal authors in the genre of graphic literature. Here, in Home After Dark, a Boston Globe Best Book of 2018, Small provides a “painfully honest” and “haunting work of unfolding surprise” (Jules Feiffer) that renders the brutality of adolescence in the 1950s.

Through “gorgeous and expressive drawings” (Roz Chast), Small “recaptures the inchoate chaos of youth” (Jack Gantos), telling the story of thirteen-year-old Russell Pruitt, who, abandoned by his mother, follows his father to the sun-splashed land of California in search of a dream. Suddenly forced to fend for himself, Russell struggles to survive in Marshfield, a dilapidated town haunted by a sadistic animal killer and a ring of malicious boys.

Eerily foreboding yet filled with uncanny psychological insights and stray glimmers of hope, Home After Dark confirms Small’s place as a modern master of graphic fiction.

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?

Praised by The Observer as a powerful work brought to life by meticulous pen and ink drawings reminiscent of Hitchcock's cinematic style, the graphic novel delivers a haunting and cinematic experience. Artist Robert Crumb commends Small as a master storyteller who authentically portrays male adolescence in 1950s America, particularly highlighting the novel's original treatment of sexual awakening. The book is noted for its subtle tackling of themes such as gender roles, immigration, and racism with spare prose and nuanced visuals.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781631496271

Publisher: W W Norton & Co Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 September 2019

Country: United States

Imprint: Liveright Publishing Corporation

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 28.0mm

Width: 180.0mm

Height: 229.0mm

Weight: 773g

Pages: 416

About the Author

David Small, author of the #1 New York Times best-selling Stitches, is the recipient of the Caldecott Medal, the Christopher Medal, and the E. B. White Award. He and his wife, the writer Sarah Stewart, live in Michigan.

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