Oates_Joyce-Carol_Night-Sleep-Death-The-Stars
2021 Longlist

Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars

artwork-image

ABOUT
THE BOOK

The bonds of family are tested in the wake of a profound tragedy, providing a look at the darker side of our society. Night Sleep Death The Stars is a gripping examination of contemporary America through the prism of a family tragedy: when a powerful parent dies, each of his adult children reacts in startling and unexpected ways, and his grieving widow in the most surprising way of all .Stark and penetrating, Joyce Carol Oates’s latest novel is a vivid exploration of race, psychological trauma, class warfare, grief, and eventual healing, as well as an intimate family novel in the tradition of the author’s bestselling We Were the Mulvaneys.

About the Author

Joyce Carol Oates is a novelist, critic, playwright, poet and author of short stories and one of America’s most highly respected literary figures. She has written some of the most enduring fiction of our time, including We Were the Mulvaneys, which was an Oprah Book Club Choice, and Blonde, which was nominated for the National Book Award. She is the Roger S. Berlind Distinguished Professor of Humanities at Princeton University and a recipient of the National Book Award and the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction.

Librarian’s Comments

This novel is about the soul and the heart of a family. John Earle “Whitey” McLaren is the patriarch of a well-situated American family. He witnesses police violence and intervenes, thus bringing himself into danger. He dies as a result of a severe injury leaving his wife and his five adult children without their center. Each child has to cope with his legacy, both on a material and figurative level, with their own position within the family and with their lives devastated by the death or their father. Jessalyn, the widow, has even more difficulties in finding her place back in reality. Over time, she learns to regain control over her goals and plans in life, which has an effect on the structure of the whole family.

Along with this family epos, Joyce Carol Oates drafts a picture of contemporary America and its current topics of resentment, inequality and racism. We look upon the story from the many different angles of the family members. Often they are in dialogue with the deceased “Whitey”, often in an inner dialogue (sometimes additional information is added in brackets). Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars describes how each family member copes and survives the loss of the family’s center and finds their new places for themselves in life and for their souls. Stadtbücherei Frankfurt am Main, Germany

ABOUT
THE AUTHOR Joyce
Carol Oates

Joyce Carol Oates is a novelist, critic, playwright, poet and author of short stories and one of America’s most highly respected literary figures. She has written some of the most enduring fiction of our time, including We Were the Mulvaneys, which was an Oprah Book Club Choice, and Blonde, which was nominated for the National Book Award. She is the Roger S. Berlind Distinguished Professor of Humanities at Princeton University and a recipient of the National Book Award and the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction.

Joyce Carol Oates is a novelist, critic, playwright, poet and author of short stories and one of America’s most highly respected literary figures. She has written some of the most enduring fiction of our time, including We Were the Mulvaneys, which was an Oprah Book Club Choice, and Blonde, which was nominated for the National Book Award. She is the Roger S. Berlind Distinguished Professor of Humanities at Princeton University and a recipient of the National Book Award and the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction.

We're sorry, but we couldn't find any translators matching your search. Please try using different keywords or check back later as we regularly update our collection.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Country
United States
Original Language
English
Publisher
Fourth Estate

RELATED FEATURES

News January 15 2025

2025 Longlist Revealed

Novels by seven Irish authors are among the 71 books nominated by 83 libraries around the world!
News November 19 2024

2025 Dublin Literary Award Judges Announced

Meet our judging panel for 2025 Dublin Literary Award
Video November 1 2024

2024 Dublin Literary Award Ceremony

2024 Dublin Literary Award Ceremony announcement live-streamed from the International Literature Festival Dublin.
Audio June 11 2024

All About Books Podcast Features the 2024 Dublin Literary Award

Dublin City FM podcaster Katy Conneely spotlights the award.

STAY CONNECTED

Stay in touch and sign up to our newsletter to receive all the latest news and updates on the Dublin Literary Award.