It's a great, great book, which I define in part by the surprises it has, such as the segment in which the reader dreads that Francie is about to be raped, but the young man turns out to have no ulterior motive, after all.
Anytime anyone mentions that book, good citizenship and a love of art ( 99% the latter ) obligates me to mention that the book was turned into a musical by Arthur Schwartz and Dorothy Fields in 1951. As one Broadway historian has said, it's a canonical cast album, and it's unfortunate that the show itself was not a success. The producers had the coup of getting the great actress, Shirley Booth, to play Aunt Cissy. Things would have been fine if this hadn't prompted a rewrite ( not at Shirley Booth's request ) to enable Miss Booth to show off more of her delightful and unique persona. This unbalanced the show, which twenty years earlier wouldn't have been a problem, but the Rodgers and Hammerstein revolution of the completely integrated musical ( each of the elements - cast, scenario, songs, dancing - serving the whole ) had spoiled critics if not audiences. "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" wasn't a glaring critical failure as a musical. I'd call it a modest unsuccess with a lot of great songs and a peerless star. One of the songs written for Shirley Booth, "He Had Refinement," is one of the funniest and cleverest songs in Broadway history.
I read this when I was 12. It's funny, I neither loved or hated it, but there are sure a number of things from this book that have stuck in my memory much more than any of the many, many other books I read when I was 12!
Joel - great writeup as always. Appreciate how you incorporate some of the author's history with a narrative synopsis of the book. Very compelling. This one has been on my list for awhile. May need to move it up in priority. I have really gotten into some classic novels in the last few years and been really impressed.
I've read a lot of your list, except for the Smith, Achebe, Hurston, and Endo. I have Kristin Lavransdatter on my to read pile. My Christmas book list is getting longer and longer.
I read it before after being enchanted with the credible movie version. Re-reading again will be better. I am sad that our country lost its innocence that made this book such a hit.
Added this to my list and looked over your list of recommendations. I read half of them but added 2/3 to my weekend reading and have some real work to do. Thanks for the ideas .
I just loaned my copy to a friend or I would start reading it immediately. I've read and re-read that book so many times since we rec'd our first copy from BOM (I think) when I was a teenager. I am just finishing Samurai, which I love, thanks for the recommendation, Silence is next on my list. Have a glorious advent - my devotions this year are from the Chesterton readings you recommended, can't think of the author.
Thank you for reading and sharing your enthusiasm for the classics! As I'm currently teaching Lord of the Flies, I'm an avowed classics lover. Pop fiction just doesn't compare. Thanks, Joel!
Also read it this year, and what a read it was! Francie made me think of Anne Shirley and Frank McCourt and their common love for books 📚 Thank you for this article (newsletter, post? still haven't figured out what one writes on Substack)!
This is one of those books that has meaning at all stages of the reader's life, at least for me. I read it for the first time when I was 13 or 14 and have read it again every 4-5 year since. It's perennially comforting and thought-provoking.
I like to use some of the schoolroom scenes in my history of U.S. education class, too.
It's a great, great book, which I define in part by the surprises it has, such as the segment in which the reader dreads that Francie is about to be raped, but the young man turns out to have no ulterior motive, after all.
Anytime anyone mentions that book, good citizenship and a love of art ( 99% the latter ) obligates me to mention that the book was turned into a musical by Arthur Schwartz and Dorothy Fields in 1951. As one Broadway historian has said, it's a canonical cast album, and it's unfortunate that the show itself was not a success. The producers had the coup of getting the great actress, Shirley Booth, to play Aunt Cissy. Things would have been fine if this hadn't prompted a rewrite ( not at Shirley Booth's request ) to enable Miss Booth to show off more of her delightful and unique persona. This unbalanced the show, which twenty years earlier wouldn't have been a problem, but the Rodgers and Hammerstein revolution of the completely integrated musical ( each of the elements - cast, scenario, songs, dancing - serving the whole ) had spoiled critics if not audiences. "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" wasn't a glaring critical failure as a musical. I'd call it a modest unsuccess with a lot of great songs and a peerless star. One of the songs written for Shirley Booth, "He Had Refinement," is one of the funniest and cleverest songs in Broadway history.
I never knew anything about this book before, just the name. Definitely planning to read it in the coming year.
I read this when I was 12. It's funny, I neither loved or hated it, but there are sure a number of things from this book that have stuck in my memory much more than any of the many, many other books I read when I was 12!
Joel - great writeup as always. Appreciate how you incorporate some of the author's history with a narrative synopsis of the book. Very compelling. This one has been on my list for awhile. May need to move it up in priority. I have really gotten into some classic novels in the last few years and been really impressed.
Saving this for later! I want to read this book!!
I've read a lot of your list, except for the Smith, Achebe, Hurston, and Endo. I have Kristin Lavransdatter on my to read pile. My Christmas book list is getting longer and longer.
I read it before after being enchanted with the credible movie version. Re-reading again will be better. I am sad that our country lost its innocence that made this book such a hit.
Added this to my list and looked over your list of recommendations. I read half of them but added 2/3 to my weekend reading and have some real work to do. Thanks for the ideas .
I just loaned my copy to a friend or I would start reading it immediately. I've read and re-read that book so many times since we rec'd our first copy from BOM (I think) when I was a teenager. I am just finishing Samurai, which I love, thanks for the recommendation, Silence is next on my list. Have a glorious advent - my devotions this year are from the Chesterton readings you recommended, can't think of the author.
Thank you for reading and sharing your enthusiasm for the classics! As I'm currently teaching Lord of the Flies, I'm an avowed classics lover. Pop fiction just doesn't compare. Thanks, Joel!
You've made me want to read it again. It's been years.
Also read it this year, and what a read it was! Francie made me think of Anne Shirley and Frank McCourt and their common love for books 📚 Thank you for this article (newsletter, post? still haven't figured out what one writes on Substack)!
This is one of those books that has meaning at all stages of the reader's life, at least for me. I read it for the first time when I was 13 or 14 and have read it again every 4-5 year since. It's perennially comforting and thought-provoking.
I like to use some of the schoolroom scenes in my history of U.S. education class, too.