# Herman Wouk has died at 103 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 17, 2019, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-wouk-has-died-at-103/834120 "2019-05-17T16:38:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-wouk-has-died-at-103/834120/1 "2019-05-17T16:38:53Z")
The author Herman Wouk has died at 103. Probably best known for “The Caine Mutiny” His WWII epic “The Winds of War” and “War and Remembrance” was hugely influential on me when I was a young adult. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-wouk-has-died-at-103/834120/2 "2019-05-17T16:41:51Z")
Ditto. I’m afraid his obituary will be 800 pages. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-wouk-has-died-at-103/834120/3 "2019-05-17T16:49:58Z")
I learned of him through Jimmy Buffett and their collaboration on a play of his novel Don’t Stop the Carnival. I haven’t read any of his other works, but I really enjoyed that one. I’ve also read the now ironically titled Stephen King short story Herman Wouk Is Still Alive. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-wouk-has-died-at-103/834120/4 "2019-05-17T17:16:05Z")
I love the works of Herman Wouk, especially _Don’t Stop the Carnival_, _Youngblood Hawke_, \*Marjorie Morningstar \*and of course _The Caine Mutiny_. RIP ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-wouk-has-died-at-103/834120/5 "2019-05-17T17:19:29Z")
Herman Wouk was still alive? RIP. A long life, well lived. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-wouk-has-died-at-103/834120/6 "2019-05-17T22:31:08Z")
Wow, 103, and just short of 104! RIP, Mr. Wouk. We’ll always be grateful for the gifts you gave us. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-wouk-has-died-at-103/834120/7 "2019-05-17T22:34:17Z")
Wow. Right after architect I.M. Pei at 102. So much for “only the good die young.” Thanks for _The Caine Mutiny,_ Hermie. Sorry about the strawberries. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-wouk-has-died-at-103/834120/8 "2019-05-17T23:21:50Z")
_muses_ I suppose it speaks to how life spans are longer than they used to be that there are actually famous - or at least well-known - centenarians around these days. I.M. Pei and Wouk just recently died. Olivia de Havilland, Kirk Douglas and Vera Lynn are still alive. Any others? ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-wouk-has-died-at-103/834120/9 "2019-05-17T23:41:14Z")
A bit of a weird one. Having had occasion for a very stray thought about his very, very late novel _A Hole in Texas_ cross my mind in the last day or so, I had then just wondered “Is Herman Wouk still alive?” or had his death passed me by? Thus freshly at the back of my to-do Google list for me to check until … ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2019, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-wouk-has-died-at-103/834120/10 "2019-05-18T00:47:43Z")
I looked him up the last time we watched _The Caine Mutiny_ a month or so ago, and was surprised he was still alive. I have to watch _The Caine Mutiny_ every time it comes on. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2019, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-wouk-has-died-at-103/834120/11 "2019-05-18T00:59:33Z")
Ten more days, and he’d have reached 104. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2019, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-wouk-has-died-at-103/834120/12 "2019-05-18T05:56:51Z")
RIP. I read both Winds of War and War and Remembrance in the summer of 8th grade heading into high school. I’ve read them again numerous times and I’ve seen the miniseries of both several times. Great works of literature, in my opinion. They inspired me to travel to Europe as well as taught me more about European history than any high school class. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-wouk-has-died-at-103/834120/13 "2019-05-20T11:42:08Z")
My introduction to Wouk was a bit of a rocky one. Our school film society showed, during the “winter” half of the year, eight classic or classic-ish films (attendance was compulsory). As a mentally fairly young eleven- and twelve-year-old, several such went thoroughly over my head – point-missing to the highest degree. One example was _The Caine Mutiny_, which greatly disappointed me by seeming to feature little in the way of exciting naval action, and to consist mostly of deadly-boring sequences of guys “argufying” in courtrooms. For decades after, in my mind “Herman Wouk” equated totally with “utter boredom” – I totally avoided anything involving him. Finally – I forget whether via the novel _Don’t Stop The Carnival_, or the _Winds of War_/_War and Remembrance_ books (whether led on to by the films, or not, again I forget) – I became converted; to the extent of at last trying _“Caine”_ (book) and, no longer being a young kid, finding it enthralling. Have not seen the film in adulthood – for a long while, have basically not “done” films. I’ve read a number of Wouk’s other novels: IMO in his long life, he produced much excellent stuff. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-wouk-has-died-at-103/834120/14 "2019-05-20T11:49:11Z")
Ironically, just this past week I was reading Stephen King’s short story _Herman Wouk is Still Alive_ in his collection _Bazaar of Bad Dreams_. It was originally published in _The Atlantic_ back in 2011. Someone showed it to Wouk, and he invited King over. > **[Herman Wouk Is Still Alive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Wouk_Is_Still_Alive)** > > "Herman Wouk Is Still Alive" is a short story by American author Stephen King. It was originally published in the May 2011 issue of The Atlantic magazine. > Old friends Brenda and Jasmine, along with their seven children between them, set off on a road trip in a rented Chevy Express after Brenda wins $2,700 on the Pick-3 lottery. They reflect back on their harsh childhoods and disappointing lives. Meanwhile, Phil and Pauline, two aging poets and former lovers, are on their way to a poetry festiva... I have to admit that, of all his fiction, the onlt thing I’ve read is his offbeat science fiction novel **The Lomokome Papers**. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-wouk-has-died-at-103/834120/15 "2019-05-20T12:30:12Z")
**City Boy** is great fun - I read an excerpt when I was in school, and finally read the whole thing a few years ago (after someone on the SDMB helped me identify it). ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-wouk-has-died-at-103/834120/16 "2019-05-20T13:17:01Z")
I enjoyed _Winds of War_, but _War and Remembranc_e was a loooong slog to get through. By the time I got to the end, I was just hanging in there to find out what happened to Natalie. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-wouk-has-died-at-103/834120/17 "2019-05-20T16:50:54Z")
By utter chance, I read Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie and Herman Wouk’s Marjorie Morning Star consecutively - it is an experience I highly recommend (even better if you can get a few friends to do it with you). You can do comparisons and contrasts on so many levels; the books are fantastically complementary.