When ROCK was first published in 1958, future Pulitzer Prize winning novelist Larry McMurtry wrote “this novel deserves a wider reading than it will likely get,” and he was right. Now this searing, hard-boiled classic is finally back in print.
It is 1958. Max Fallon, fleeing the wreckage of his marriage and career, returns to his lakeside home town and a job as a beach lifeguard. He discovers that his old neighborhood, beneath its seemingly unchanged veneer, is seething with violence, ruled by a brutal group of young men, including his own teenage brother, that is led by a hard woman who uses her ruthless sexuality as a deadly weapon.
“Wagoner makes an ambitious attempt to deal with the children of our present rock-and-roll generation and, in some respects, he is depressingly successful. The book is a testament of lovelessness, the compassionate record of a warping that has touched a whole generation. It is strong, serious writing about a serious subject.” Larry McMurtry, Wichita Falls Times
“Engrossing, beautifully capturing the tensions beneath the surface of present-day American life. He writes with sincerity and clarity.” Pittsburgh Courier
“A well-constructed, excellently-written novel of great significance… a vivid picture of a restless segment of modern society. “ Los Angeles Mirror
“The book is beautifully-written. It contains some shrewd and thought-provoking observations.” GreensboroNews and Record
“Wagoner surpasses The Blackboard Jungle…written with force and understanding.” Hartford Courant
“A fast-moving novel, a vivid picture of a violent world.” Newsday
Genre: Mystery
It is 1958. Max Fallon, fleeing the wreckage of his marriage and career, returns to his lakeside home town and a job as a beach lifeguard. He discovers that his old neighborhood, beneath its seemingly unchanged veneer, is seething with violence, ruled by a brutal group of young men, including his own teenage brother, that is led by a hard woman who uses her ruthless sexuality as a deadly weapon.
“Wagoner makes an ambitious attempt to deal with the children of our present rock-and-roll generation and, in some respects, he is depressingly successful. The book is a testament of lovelessness, the compassionate record of a warping that has touched a whole generation. It is strong, serious writing about a serious subject.” Larry McMurtry, Wichita Falls Times
“Engrossing, beautifully capturing the tensions beneath the surface of present-day American life. He writes with sincerity and clarity.” Pittsburgh Courier
“A well-constructed, excellently-written novel of great significance… a vivid picture of a restless segment of modern society. “ Los Angeles Mirror
“The book is beautifully-written. It contains some shrewd and thought-provoking observations.” GreensboroNews and Record
“Wagoner surpasses The Blackboard Jungle…written with force and understanding.” Hartford Courant
“A fast-moving novel, a vivid picture of a violent world.” Newsday
Genre: Mystery
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