The Late George Apley

Finished The Late George Apley by John P. Marquand. It won the Pulitzer in 1938. It is the story of a privileged Bostonian, born in the 1860s, who watched the world around him change drastically until his death in the 1930s. Social norms, automobiles, World War I, electric lights on the Boston Common, Freudianism, Ernest Hemingway, Cubism, Lady Chatterly's Lover, all are touched upon. The book is written as a biography, compiled by a longtime friend of Apley's and consisting of occasional narration, but mostly letters written by Apley to friends and family. The book is engaging and humorous. It was interesting to read so much about the history of the area I grew up in. This was Marquand's first serious novel. He is perhaps better known for his Mr. Moto mysteries.