A recognized American classic, laureate of the most prestigious Pulitzer Prize - all this relates specifically to William Styron, one of the most controversial writers who only appeared in the 20th century. In his works, he was able to simultaneously combine some of the most painful events that only existed in people's lives, with moral issues that tormented philosophers for centuries. He was so good at combining them with what society demanded, as well as his own personal research, that works were filled with such deep content that they at the same time aroused praise and debate. This article will tell the story of the writer, as well as describe the most famous books of William Styron, which attract the reader to this day.
Childhood
As you know, William Styron was born in the small city of Newport News, located in the state of Virginia. It was a beautiful summer day, namely June 11, 1925. Unfortunately, his early childhood was not the happiest, since his father, who worked as an engineer at the shipyard, suffered from a depressive disorder, and since at that time such a diagnosis did not exist, he simply could not be cured.
He also lost his mother early enough; she died when he was only 13 years old. Father, realizing that he could not independently raise a child, sent him to preparatory school. After that, he was constantly transferred from one school to another until he entered the university on his own.
Study and army
William Styron chose Duke University as the place to earn his degree, although before that he had studied first at Davidson College and then served in the army for some time during World War II. He was listed in the naval corps, where he received the rank of first lieutenant. So he received a bachelor of art in English only in 1947.
Carier start
After graduation, he began working at McGraw Hill, and at the same time began his career as a writer. In this he was supported by another writer, Hiram Haydn, whose classes at the school of social studies he constantly attended. It was with his help that he created his first work. The novel "Go Into Darkness" by William Styron, released in 1951, immediately became popular and brought an American Academy award.
Perceived positively by critics, it was the beginning of a brilliant career. The story itself narrated the life of a young woman who lived in Virginia with her family, was written on behalf of her father, who reflected on her tragic suicide. The entire work, in addition to this, was also closely correlated with the explosion of a nuclear bomb in Hiroshima.
"And setting this house on fire" by William Styron
The next bright work was the book “And set fire to this house”, which was released in 1960. At this time, the writer had already moved to Europe, so the range of action was significantly expanded.
The action of this work takes place immediately after the Second World War in a small Italian town, where two former classmates from America unexpectedly met. One of them is the poor artist Cass Kinsolvin, and the second is the rich Mason Flag, but for the most part the novel itself is written from a third person who is an observer.
First, the story unfolds in the form of a detective story, as the body of the dead girl Francesca is discovered. It is Flag who is accused of the crime, who immediately after the accusation rushes into the abyss, although in fact he was thrown by Cass, avenging the murder of the girl.
Reviews
According to reviews, “And set fire to this house” by William Styron is a rather controversial work. It was well received by critics, but for ordinary people his style of narration was largely mysterious. In total, the book contains three parts, each of which is written from different points of view: the observer, and then Cass Kinsolving. It sharply contrasts the image of completely different people - a rich man who can only destroy, and a poor man who even after the hardships of the world war tries to find stability and truth in life. The book truly expressed all the problems that existed in American society in the 1950s, spoke about the spiritual devastation that spread throughout the world after the greatest tragedy in history.
Confessions of Nat Turner
The following was the controversial book of William Styron - "Confessions of Nat Turner." She came out in 1967, when the black rights movement was at its peak. For her, the writer was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, she was translated into 20 different languages, but in fact she still raises heated debates. The work was written on the basis of the uprising of Nat Turner and his dying confession, which was recorded by lawyer Thomas Gray. She was explicitly banned in the USSR, and was also constantly criticized with African-Americans, since in many ways the image of a national hero, which they considered him to be maral.
William Styron was even accused of racism for a long time, and there really was a grain of truth in something here. In the book, the main character, who was the leader of the famous rebellion of slaves in 1831 and a Baptist priest, was portrayed as a religious fanatic who was haunted by thoughts of sexual violence against a white-skinned girl. In the story, he killed her, after which he began to doubt his god.
"Sophie's Choice"
William Styron's "Sophie's Choice" was written only ten years later, in 1979. According to this book, a film will subsequently be shot in 1983, where the main role will be played by actress Meryl Streep, who received her second Oscar figurine for this role. In his work, the author tried to combine fiction, deep philosophy and some historical events. The book is about a Polish woman who survived the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II.
The entire description is provided by a censor from a publishing house in New York who rents an apartment in the house where Sophie Zavistovskaya and Nathan Landau live. This couple quickly becomes friends with a novice writer, so that gradually he learns their story. At first glance, they seem like a typical loving couple, but in fact, Nathan hates Sophie because she survived and constantly yells at her. All this happens during the Nuremberg trials, which only heated the atmosphere in the couple’s house. The man was constantly trying to find out how Sophie managed to survive when thousands of Jews died daily, but she preferred to open to the writer.
The book itself caused a lot of controversy, especially among Jews, as it dealt largely with anti-Semitism.
"Visual Darkness" by William Styron
After Sophie's Choice, Styron published a number of essays, but they did not attract much attention. The next great work was "Visual Darkness", released in 1990. This book was the quintessential insanity, combining simultaneously the issues of depression, suicide and alcoholism. In the end, the author created an excellent report on the real consequences of depression. The author himself, who suffered from manic-depressive syndrome, just needed to throw out his story, which resulted in one of the brightest works.
Personal life
As you know, Styron himself tried to lead a balanced life, working every day. But he did not always succeed in this, since he, like his father, suffered from depression and drank a lot. In fact, "Visible Darkness" was a description of his personal life, which he often exhibited in his other works. He had a life partner, Rose, but he himself attributed to her that she was in love not so much with him as with his talent. In addition, there is no particular data about his family, since he preferred to delve deeper into his inner world.
Conclusion
The author’s works are truly ambiguous and often difficult to understand, since they retain compositional complexity and semantic richness. However, he often used the characteristic dark features, that is, he touched on violence, incest, post-war horror and the feeling that a terrible end was overtaking you.