You Can't Go Home Again

Thomas Wolfe's book "You Can't Go Home Again" is undeniably an immortal American classic. What is truly impressive and unique about Wolfe's writing is not only the intuitive incisiveness with which he articulates human thought and emotion; but just as astonishing, is his ability to articulate these things with utter and precise clarity.There is not one sentence in his book that does not make total sense upon first reading. If it seems not to, it is only because the reader has skipped a line. With a vocabulary that is vast, but which he uses with unique precision, Wolfe tells the story of George Webber, a writer, who is in essence, Thomas Wolfe, the writer. Wolfe ultimately sees himself as an artist that is an observer of human thought and action. But in addition, one that has an obligation to do what one can, to stamp out ugliness, violence, injustice, inhumanity, and so many other wrongs that rear their heads in society from time to time.Yet, even with this extraordinary brilliance, clarity, and understanding of the human condition, like all great writers and great artists, he leaves the reader with a question. If clearly, it is his understanding of his personal duty, his personal philosophy to work to do what one can do, to end injustice, then why, is he, personally, always running away? As the book is a picture of one always on the move, always observing people, always changing venue, but wisely with great proficiency and efficacy, storing these experiences away as he seeks his understanding of the human condition; he is constantly yet on the move. And so, how does one work to stamp out injustice, if one is always running from the place he is at, and believes "He can't go home again?" This then becomes the challenge to the reader as well. And thus, the questions of the "meaning of life" are never fully answered. How really could they be?For those who wish to see an example of one man try to find those answers, with the clearest articulation I have ever seen in any book, one should read Wolfe's book as soon as possible. It reads moderately quickly, due to Wolfe's amazing clarity. And it does articulate many of the answers to many of the questions that all thinking people ask themselves as they go through life.

Most depressing and boring story I’ve ever read.I swear the author must have been paid by the word as he doesn’t seem to be able to complete a thought in less than 5 pages of lengthy lists endlessly repeating the same thing over and over again.The author is so wordy that by the time he finishes a thought you’ve lost track of whatever point he is trying to make. You basically have to re-read the passage eliminating 90% of it to determine what was said.The only part I liked or rather not so much liked but agreed with was the very end of the story. It’s just I’ve read other stories that came to pretty much the same conclusion that were a lot less painful and more interesting to read.

I don't know how else to put this but this is the best book I ever read. Yes there are times in the middle where it wanders and meanders a bit but that's part of the journey, and by the time I got to the end, to this part, I saw my own life:"You can't go back home to your family, back home to your childhood, back home to romantic love, back home to a young man's dreams of glory and of fame, back home to exile, to escape to Europe and some foreign land"The romantic relationship in which my identity was firmly anchored for years (the girl that got away, but continued to live in my memory), the family bonds that tie and tied too tight, my adventures in Zurich and Tel Aviv and Seoul, and all of it wound up in chasing the wind, as Ecclesiastes pointed out so many years ago. I suppose part of the reason we read is to realize we're not alone in experiencing the tragedies that life bestows upon us.And there's something about 1930s Germany that rings a little familiar today. Not exactly, but there's echos.Yes, this book struck home for me. And the prose is more beautifully constructed than anything I've read in a long time. This is a great book. Read it and make it yours.

an American classic that i have finally read. a bit lengthy toward the middle but keep at it. this is not just a story as one is used to but it is a knowing of people. all kinds of people, why do they do what they do? why do we expect them to behave differently?

While this is no "Anna Karenina", the book by Thomas Wolfe is definitely a cut above the ordinary. A wry and ascerbic humor pervade the book, which is very sharp and ornate in it's use of language, almost baroque, almost too much for my taste at first. As I navigated it's contents, however I became enamoured of this language, which was nothing if not characteristic of real and singular style.On substance, it delivered rather nicely also, and I was most struck by the enduring social themes, the great issues that confront society at an ethical and a moral level, and how very little attitudes had changed from the 1930's, when this book was written until the 1990's, when I had read it. For example, on the attitudes towards homosexuality, both by the enlightened and the aghast, as well as the roles that homosexuals played in society, as an object of scorn among many of the commonfolk, as well as an object of amusement and curiousity among the elite, seemed little changed in half a century - not really a hopeful lesson, but one that stuck with me, nevertheless about the glacial pace of social reform and the stubborn perpetuity of predjudice and ignorance, passed down from generation to generation.Well worth the read.

Being a "classic" this book is quite a challenge to read - both on content and length. However, Wolfe's characters are brilliant and he poses many questions and thoughts for you to ponder over as you read. Take your time and you will be rewarded!

The author writes some stunning prose. When I started reading I thought, how have I missed this author till now. I enjoyed reading about the protagonist and his hometown and thought it was all heading towards the downfall of the rich and famous at the time of the "crash" in America. Then, the book just seemed to lose its way and I have to say I thought the author had lost more than his way as the dialogue became absolutely ridiculous. I plodded on, thinking it must get back on track, but, life is too short and I abandoned the book about 70% through.

I'm very much enjoying Mr. Wolfe's story, but this Kindle edition is littered with typos which is distracting and eventually annoying. It appears to have been scanned and automatically converted, then not proof read. The three stars is because of this.

I thought this book was extremely well written - from a philosophical point of view, especially towards the end. However he does tend to ramble on a bit too long during the story-telling body of the book. Nevertheless I did read it through and it`s a good read but I also think he lost it a bit in between, especially whist in Germany with his friend and lover. Hmmmm not sure really.

Delivered on time very good