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Set This House On Fire

By William Styron
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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
Set in post-World War II Italy, Set This House On Fire follows Peter Leverett as he confronts the violent and surreal events surrounding the death of his old friend Mason Flagg. The story unravels a dark conflict between Mason, a charismatic yet malevolent figure, and Cass Kinsolving, a self-destructive painter tormented by evil forces. The novel explores themes of good and evil through its intense episodes of murder, rape, and suicide.
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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 novel is suited for readers interested in psychological crime thrillers, literary explorations of morality, and character-driven narratives set against a postwar European backdrop.

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The day after Peter Leverett met his old friend Mason Flagg in Italy, Mason was found dead.

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

The day after Peter Leverett met his old friend Mason Flagg in Italy, Mason was found dead. The hours leading up to his death were a nightmare for Peter—both in their violence and in their maddening unreality.

The blaze of events which followed was, Peter soon realised, ignited by a conflict between two men—Mason Flagg himself and Cass Kinsolving, a tortured, self-destructive painter, a natural enemy and prey to the monstrous evil of Mason Flagg. Three events—murder, rape and suicide—explode in this relentless and passionate novel, almost overwhelming in its conception of the varieties of good and evil.

This gripping tale is entitled Set This House On Fire, and through its narrative, it draws readers into a thrilling exploration of moral complexities and the human psyche.

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?

The New York Times Book Review praised the novel for its "immediately impressive" scenes, sharp dialogue, and vivid descriptions of cities and interiors. Reviewers highlight Styron's "electrifying and deeply unsettling" narrative, comparing its insight into evil to that of Dostoevsky, and commending the powerful interplay of characters embodying innocence, vice, and wickedness.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780099285557

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 April 2001

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 31.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 425g

Pages: 576

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About the Author

Born in Newport News, Virginia, in 1925, William Styron was educated at Duke University. He served in the Marine Corps during the last war, and was recalled to service during the Korean War. After 1952, he lived mainly in Europe, before settling in a rural part of Connecticut. He is the author of The Long March, Lie Down in Darkness, Set This House on Fire and Sophie's Choice. He has also published Darkness Visible, the remarkable story of his descent into depression, the collection This Quiet Dust and Other Writings, and A Tidewater Morning. William Styron died in 2006.

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