New Release

 

One we're extremely excited about! Charles Jackson's first novel, The Lost Weekend (1944), a harrowing story about alcoholism, was a bestseller and became an Oscar-winning film. But his next novel, THE FALL OF VALOR (1946), was even more daring, the story of an ordinary husband and wife whose marriage may be destroyed when the husband falls in love with a handsome Marine captain while on holiday. Critics praised the writing but were disgusted by the frank treatment of homosexuality (it was 1946, after all!) Features a new introduction by Michael Bronski and cover design inspired by the original pulp cover.

 

 

Book Description

 

The Fall of Valor is an unflinching portrayal of a marriage that has faded to a mere duty. John and Ethel Grandin take a summer vacation to Nantucket with the hope of recapturing the happiness they felt in the early days of their relationship. But instead the holiday blasts their marriage wider apart than ever when John falls hopelessly in love with a handsome marine captain.

​This edition features a new introduction by Michael Bronski, who argues that Jackson’s novel deserves rediscovery and a place alongside later classics such as Gore Vidal’s The City and the Pillar, Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead, and the works of James Baldwin.

Reviews

“A finer and more skilful work than [The Lost Weekend] . . . a milestone in our literary progress.” – Saturday Review

“A courageous, ruthlessly probing book.” – Thomas Mann

“One of the best books I’ve ever read.” – Book Week

Available in the US and CA:

Website | Amazon US