The four narratives which make up this posthumous collection draw upon William Styron's experiences in the US Marine Corps, and give us an insight into the early life of one of America's greatest modern writers. William Styron earned a commission as second lieutenant in the U.S Marine Corps in 1945, shortly after his twentieth birthday. He was scheduled to participate in the assault on mainland Japan, most likely as the leader of a mortar platoon, but in early August the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and ...
Read More
The four narratives which make up this posthumous collection draw upon William Styron's experiences in the US Marine Corps, and give us an insight into the early life of one of America's greatest modern writers. William Styron earned a commission as second lieutenant in the U.S Marine Corps in 1945, shortly after his twentieth birthday. He was scheduled to participate in the assault on mainland Japan, most likely as the leader of a mortar platoon, but in early August the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ending the war. Before he was discharged Styron served a six-week stint as an officer at the military prison on Harts Island in Long Island Sound.In December 1945 he was mustered out of the Marine Corps, and lived with his father and stepmother at their home in Newport News, Virginia, before completing his bachelor degree at Duke University and embarking on his first novel, Lie Down in Darkness.Early in 1951, as he was composing the last two chapters of his manuscript, Styron was recalled into the Marine Corps for service in Korea. The stories of The Suicide Run are set in the gruelling camps and sweltering training fields that marked the limbo point between civilian life and the horrors of war.Fictional yet autobiographical, the narratives of this collection focus on young men who, broiling in the claustrophobia of military life, always conscious of the imminence of action, try to maintain their sanity in the wake of their abrupt removalfrom normal life.In The Suicide Run, two young men at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina embark on suicidal 36 hour leave periods - crossing the 500 miles to New York and back at breakneck speed for a few hours with their mistresses and a reprieve from the 'sexual famine' of army life.In Blankenship a young idealist and deserter at a military prison hits a nerve in a model officer, with disastrous consequences for both, and in My Father's House, the young protagonist returns home from war to be met by the cold war of his stepmother's disapproval, and be haunted by all the battles he almost fought... Imbued with a sense of frustration and looming fear, keenly rendered in Styron's pithy and acutely observational prose, this collection is a fascinating insight into military life and the 'mysterious community of men' that comprises the US Marine Corps, and a posthumous glimpse into the mind of a mighty writer.
Read Less
Add this copy of Suicide Run to cart. $3.62, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2011 by Vintage Books USA.
Add this copy of Suicide Run to cart. $3.64, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Ruby rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2011 by Vintage Books USA.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of The Suicide Run: Five Tales of the Marine Corps to cart. $5.99, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brownstown, MI, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by Jonathan Cape.
Add this copy of Suicide Run to cart. $6.50, like new condition, Sold by Powell's Books Chicago rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Chicago, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2011 by Vintage.
Add this copy of Suicide Run: Five Tales of the Marine Corps to cart. $6.50, like new condition, Sold by Powell's Books Chicago rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Chicago, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by Jonathan Cape Ltd.
Add this copy of Suicide Run to cart. $6.50, very good condition, Sold by Powell's Books Chicago rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Chicago, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2011 by Vintage.
Add this copy of Suicide Run: Five Tales of the Marine Corps to cart. $6.75, new condition, Sold by Powell's Books Chicago rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Chicago, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by Jonathan Cape Ltd.
Add this copy of The Suicide Run: William Styron to cart. $10.99, very good condition, Sold by Wyemart Limited rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from HEREFORD, HEREFORDSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2011 by Vintage.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. All items inspected and guaranteed. All Orders Dispatched from the UK within one working day. Established business with excellent service record.
Add this copy of Suicide Run to cart. $11.95, very good condition, Sold by Fleur Fine Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Port Neches, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2011 by Vintage.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Used; Very Good. Vintage. Used; Very Good. Vintage 2011 Paperback. This book is in excellent unread condition. Pages are clean and unmarked. Covers have no rips, tears or creases. Spine is uncreased. Book Condiiton: Very Good. 2011. TRADE PAPERBACK.
Add this copy of Suicide Run: Five Tales of the Marine Corps. 6 to cart. $12.98, Sold by MESILLAINTERNET rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from LAS CRUCES, NM, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by Jonathan Cape Ltd.
