John Dos Passos Books

Set against the backdrop of World War I, the narrative follows an ambulance driver navigating the tumultuous landscapes of Italy, France, and Spain. This semi-autobiographical tale delves into the harrowing experiences of war, capturing the emotional and physical toll on those serving on the front lines. Through vivid storytelling, the protagonist's journey reveals both the chaos of battle and the profound impact of human connection amidst the horrors of conflict.

Through the testimony of numerous characters, both fictional and historical figures, the author builds up a composite picture of American society in the first quarter of the 20th century. schovat popis

Unique among American novels for its epic scope and panoramic and social sweep, John Dos Passos' U.S.A. has long been acknowledged as a monument of modern fiction. In the novels that make up the trilogy - The 42nd Parallel (1930), 1919 (1932), and The Big Money (1936) - Dos Passos creates an unforgettable collective portrait of America, shot through with sardonic comedy and brilliant social observation. He interweaves the careers of his characters and the events of their time with a narrative verve and breathtaking technical skill that make U.S.A. among the most compulsively readable of modern classics. In his prologue Dos Passos writes: "U.S.A. is the slice of a continent. U.S.A. is a group of holding companies, some aggregations of trade unions, a set of laws bound in calf, a radio network, a chain of moving picture theatres, a column of stock quotations rubbed out and written in by a Western Union boy on a blackboard, a public library full of old newspapers and dogeared history books with protests scrawled on the margins in pencil...But mostly U.S.A. is the speech of the people." The trilogy is filled with American speech: labor radicals and advertising executives, sailors and stenographers, interior decorators and movie stars. The volume contains newly researched chronologies of Dos Passos' life and of world events cited in U.S.A., notes, and an essay on textual selection

John Dos Passos's Manhattan Transfer follows the overlapping lives of four principal characters in a sweeping multi-faceted tale set to the soundtrack of the booming, rhythmic pulse of New York City in the 1920s. Peopled with wealthy professionals, struggling immigrants, actors, cab drivers, chefs, and shopkeepers, a portrait of New York City bursts into view with all the force of the city itself. Through a narrative collage of descriptions, snatches of conversations, music, flashbacks, streams of consciousness, and shifting perspectives, Dos Passos vividly portrays the profits and perils of the American dream. Considered by many to be his greatest novel, Manhattan Transfer is a landmark work of modernist fiction and a masterpiece of American literature.

Completing a monumental trilogy, this volume delves into America's pursuit of wealth and the accompanying moral decay. John Dos Passos weaves a narrative that critiques materialism while exploring the complexities of success. The ambitious project showcases the author's innovative storytelling and deep social commentary, capturing the essence of an era marked by both aspiration and ethical challenges.

With 1919 , the second volume of his U.S.A . trilogy, John Dos Passos continues his "vigorous and sweeping panorama of twentieth-century America" ( Forum ), lauded on publication of the first volume not only for its scope, but also for its groundbreaking style.Again, employing a host of experimental devices that would inspire a whole new generation of writers to follow, Dos Passos captures the many textures, flavors, and background noises of modern life with a cinematic touch and unparalleled nerve.1919 opens to find America and the world at war, and Dos Passos's characters, many of whom we met in the first volume, are thrown into the snarl. We follow the daughter of a Chicago minister, a wide-eyed Texas girl, a young poet, a radical Jew, and we glimpse Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, and the Unknown Soldier. 1919 provides an incomparable portrait of America from the turn of the century to the Depression of 1929.

The book is a significant historical work that has been preserved through modern reformatting, ensuring its clarity and readability for contemporary audiences. It explores themes relevant to the Eastern Hemisphere, particularly focusing on Spain and Portugal. The effort to republish this classic highlights its enduring importance in human history, making it accessible for both present and future generations.

With his U.S.A. trilogy, comprising THE 42nd PARALLEL, 1919, and THE BIG MONEY, John Dos Passos is said by many to have written the great American novel. While Fitzgerald and Hemingway were cultivating what Edmund Wilson once called their "own little corners," John Dos Passos was taking on the world. Counted as one of the best novels of the twentieth century by the Modern Library and by some of the finest writers working today, U.S.A. is a grand, kaleidoscopic portrait of a nation, buzzing with history and life on every page. The trilogy opens with THE 42nd PARALLEL, where we find a young country at the dawn of the twentieth century. Slowly, in stories artfully spliced together, the lives and fortunes of five characters unfold. Mac, Janey, Eleanor, Ward, and Charley are caught on the storm track of this parallel and blown New Yorkward. As their lives cross and double back again, the likes of Eugene Debs, Thomas Edison, and Andrew Carnegie make cameo appearances.

Considered by many to be John Dos Passos's greatest work, Manhattan Transfer is an "expressionistic picture of New York" (New York Times) in the 1920s that reveals the lives of wealthy power brokers and struggling immigrants alike. From Fourteenth Street to the Bowery, Delmonico's to the underbelly of the city waterfront, Dos Passos chronicles the lives of characters struggling to become a part of modernity before they are destroyed by it. More than seventy-five years after its first publication, Manhattan Transfer still stands as "a novel of the very first importance" (Sinclair Lewis). It is a masterpiece of modern fiction and a lasting tribute to the dual-edged nature of the American dream.

A book in the North Star series of biographies.

John Roderigo Dos Passos was an influential American novelist known for his groundbreaking U.S.A. trilogy, which explores the complexities of American society in the early 20th century. His works are characterized by innovative narrative techniques and a deep engagement with social and political issues, reflecting the tumultuous changes of his time. Through vivid characters and a rich tapestry of themes, Dos Passos captured the essence of the American experience, making significant contributions to modern literature.

John Roderigo Dos Passos was a prominent American novelist known for his innovative narrative style and social commentary. His most acclaimed work, the U.S.A. trilogy, explores the complexities of American life in the early 20th century through a blend of fictional characters, historical figures, and vivid imagery. Dos Passos's writing often reflects his deep concerns about social injustice and the impact of industrialization, making his work a significant contribution to American literature.

Part of the generation that produced Ernest Hemingway and Ford Madox Ford, John Dos Passos wrote one of the most grimly honest portraits of World War I. Three Soldiers portrays the lives of a trio of army privates: Fuselli, an Italian American store clerk from San Francisco; Chrisfield, a farm boy from Indiana; and Andrews, a musically gifted Harvard graduate from New York. Hailed as a masterpiece on its original publication in 1921, Three Soldiers is a gripping exploration of fear and ambition, conformity and rebellion, desertion and violence, and the brutal and dehumanizing effects of a regimented war machine on ordinary soldiers. "It is unquestionably the best war story yet produced in America and I have every confidence that it will make a sensation" - H. L. Mencken

John Dos Passos wurde 1896 in Chicago geboren. Er studierte in Harvard und ging nach dem Abschluss 1916 nach Europa. Als Kunststudent in Spanien begann er zu malen und zu schreiben; unter dem Eindruck des Ersten Weltkrieges verfasste er zwei pazifistische Romane, bevor er mit dem multiperspektivischen Großstadtpanorama Manhattan Transfer 1925 den amerikanischen Roman revolutionierte. Später engagierte er sich im Spanischen Bürgerkrieg auf Seiten der Republikaner. Er gilt neben Hemingway, Faulkner und Fitzgerald als einer der wichtigsten Vertreter der amerikanischen Moderne. Seine Romane beeinflussten weltweit zahlreiche Schriftsteller, namentlich inspirierte Manhattan Transfer Alfred Döblin zu seinem großen Roman Berlin Alexanderplatz. John Dos Passos starb 1970 in Baltimore.

John Dos Passos zeichnet in der USA-Trilogie – «Der 42. Breitengrad» (1930), «1919» (1932) und «Das große Geld» (1936) – mit sarkastischem Humor und scharfem Auge für soziale Fragen ein unvergessliches Kollektivporträt der USA. Durch die Art, wie er das Leben seiner Charaktere und die Zeit, in der sie leben, verbindet, gehören diese Bücher zu den lesbarsten modernen Klassikern überhaupt. Seine Protagonisten erleben Kriege und Revolutionen, Liebesaffären und Familienkrisen, Triumphe und Katastrophen vor Kulissen, die unter anderem die Schützengräben des Ersten Weltkriegs, das aufständische Mexiko, Hollywoodstudios, Wall-Street-Büros und die von Tumulten erschütterten Straßen von Boston umfassen.

Reisejournal eines Unvoreingenommenen Dos Passos ist fünfundzwanzig, als er sich 1921 auf eine Reise durch den Orient macht: von der Türkei über Georgien, Armenien, den Iran und Irak bis nach Syrien. Istanbul hieß noch Konstantinopel, Ländergrenzen waren durchlässig, oft noch vorläufig; Konflikte aus dem Ersten Weltkrieg flackerten auf wie Moorbrände, eine Welt formierte sich neu und nahm langsam die sozialen und staatlichen Strukturen an, wie wir sie heute kennen. Dos Passos ist umsichtiger Beobachter und scharfzüngiger Chronist – unvoreingenommene Neugier prägt seinen Blick. Ein aufregendes Reisejournal, ein hochinteressantes Zeitdokument.

German

Kolektivní román o chaosu americké civilizace po první světové válce je dílem výrazného amerického spisovatele, jehož vrchol tvorby spadá do období mezi dvěma světovými válkami. Autor zde novou uměleckou metodou, poučenou nafilmové technice nespojitých dokumentárních scénických záběrůa pohledů, zachycuje život New Yorku v prvních desítiletích našeho století a tlumočí jej jako ohlušující, bezbřehý a vzhledem k jedinci necitelný a ničící chaos. Zpozadí řady lidských osudů, prolínajících se a střetajících v boji o dolar, vystupují ostřeji rychlé kariéry i pády jedinců, tragédie lidí zruinovaných a zklamání lidí mladých.

Kniha je označována jako typický "umělecký román" té doby. Hlavním hrdinou je citlivý chlapec, který se pokouší uniknout omezujícím konvencím tehdejší společnosti.

Autorovy zážitky a zkušenosti z cestování v době válek.

Americký život v prvních dvou desetiletích 20. století až po 1. světovou válku. Román se skládá ze 4 nezávislých, navzájem se prostupujících pásem - příběhy fiktivních hrdinů, jejichž osudy sledované od dětství, dokumentují společenský vývoj USA od konce 19.stol. do r. 1917 -dalším pásmem jsou krátké biografie osobností americké historie, politiky, dělnických vůdců, vynálezců - 3. pásmo tvoří vnitřní monolog vypravěče - 4. pásmo je montáží dobových titulů novin, krátkých zpráv, úryvků šlágrů Jednotlivá pásma se navzájem vrství, prostupují a doplňují, čímž vytvářejí panoramatický obraz vývoje společnosti.

První dva romány trilogie U.S.A., kterou autor napsal v impresionistickém stylu, mapuje U.S.A. jak se mu dobově jeví.

První dva romány trilogie U.S.A., kterou autor napsal v impresionistickém stylu, mapuje U.S.A. jak se mu dobově jeví.