Leonard Schiller is a writer in his seventies. All of his books are out of print; he's left no mark in literary history; a lifetime of dedicated labor has brought him few rewards. Heather Wolfe is a graduate student in her twenties. She read Schiller's novels when she was growing up, and they changed her life. She decides to write her master's thesis about Schiller's work, and she sets out to meet him. Starting Out in the Evening is a novel about the unexpected consequences of that meeting--and the unexpected consequences ...
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Leonard Schiller is a writer in his seventies. All of his books are out of print; he's left no mark in literary history; a lifetime of dedicated labor has brought him few rewards. Heather Wolfe is a graduate student in her twenties. She read Schiller's novels when she was growing up, and they changed her life. She decides to write her master's thesis about Schiller's work, and she sets out to meet him. Starting Out in the Evening is a novel about the unexpected consequences of that meeting--and the unexpected consequences of art. Heather blows into Schiller's life like a whirlwind and overturns everything in it. After years of obscurity, he finds himself dreaming of literary immortality; after a lifetime of restraint, he finds himself infatuated with a woman so young she seemed like an emissary from the future. For Heather, meeting Schiller has even more complicated results. Finding it hard to believe that this cautious, habit-bound man wrote the books that taught her so much about the beauty of taking risks, she begins to suspect that her idol has failed to understand the deepest lessons of his own art. In the course of the novel, we also come to know Schiller's daughter, Ariel, a spirited and tender-hearted former dancer, and her lover, Casey, a restlessly self-questioning black intellectual. Though deeply committed to each other, they are pursuing irreconcilable dreams, and together they are facing the fear that their conflicts will prove greater than their love. When Schiller's fortunes change dramatically, Ariel and Casey are put to a test that neither of them could have prepared for. With a startling sureness of touch, Morton illuminates the inner lives of a variedcast of characters--male and female, young and old, black and white--all of whom are striving to live out their ideals in a world that seems to have little room for idealism. And in Leonard Schiller, Morton has given us one of the most remarkable characters to appear in recent American fiction--an unforgettable portrait of an artist as an old man. Written with breathtaking insight and loving humor, Starting Out in the Evening is an exhilaratingly intelligent and powerful novel--an extraordinary triumph of the novelist's art.
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Add this copy of Starting Out in the Evening to cart. $1.25, good condition, Sold by Once Upon A Time Books rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Tontitown, AR, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Crown.
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Good in good dust jacket. This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear. This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear.
Add this copy of Starting Out in the Evening to cart. $2.92, like new condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brownstown, MI, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Crown Publishing Group (NY).
Add this copy of Starting Out in the Evening to cart. $2.92, like new condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Crown Publishing Group (NY).
Add this copy of Starting Out in the Evening to cart. $2.92, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Crown Publishing Group (NY).
Add this copy of Starting Out in the Evening to cart. $2.92, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Crown Publishing Group (NY).
Add this copy of Starting Out in the Evening to cart. $3.00, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Emerald rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Crown.
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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 Starting Out in the Evening to cart. $3.00, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Diamond rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Crown.
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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 Starting Out in the Evening to cart. $7.50, like new condition, Sold by tahbooks rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Knoxville, TN, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Crown.
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As New in As New jacket. Book. 8vo-over 7¾-9¾" tall. Hardcover, Publisher: Crown, 1997. Used-As New in a As New dust jacket protected with a mylar cover. First edition, first printing. As New. Book is a tight, unread copy in mint condition. 325 p.
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Used; Very Good. Crown. Used; Very Good. Crown Publishing Group. 1998. Hardcover First Edition. Previous owner name on front free end page. Book Condition: Very Good. Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1997. First Edition. HARDCOVER.
Add this copy of Starting Out in the Evening to cart. $18.78, very good condition, Sold by Books From California rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Simi Valley, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Crown.
This would be a hard book to recommend to someone. A statement in the book by one of the charactesr in the book seems to sum up my recommendation.. He makes a statement referring to one of the main character's (an author) books, "He finished it in one sitting--it was pretty light--and getting up he tossed it on the table and thought, 'Four people bothering each other. Who cares?"
Having said that, I have to admit it did impact me in some ways. The author subtly portrays the transitions into the characters lives and how they deal with/accept them. Unfortunately it took the last few chapters to really hammer this message home. Sadly, I can see many abandoning the book before getting to this point.
