Any thoughts on this novel? I did enjoy it but found it too short and the plot undeveloped. And, after maybe the first 1/4 of the book, the protagonist rarely ever goes to the movies!
I’ve long considered Percy one of my fave novelists, tho I must admit I haven’t read him for 20 yrs or so. Do recall that the 2d time I read Moviegoer, it seemed not much happened. Preferred Lancelot and Second Coming. Had no use for Love in the Ruins or Thanatos.
I tend to enjoy southern gothic, and frustrated catholics like Percy and Graham Greene. I may need to re-read him - see how I like him at this stage of my life. I recently re-read Sense and Sensibility. 30 yrs agoi I would have said I LOVED everything Austen wrote. This time - not so much!
My gap is shorter, but Mr. Walker has long been a favorite of mine. I agree that Moviegoer isn’t his best or most-focused work. It was a good idea, but it never really got fleshed out, IMO.
Love In The Ruins is an amazing novel, my favorite of his output. I re-read it every 5 or 6 years or so. I found Thanatos very disappointing: it seemed it was written either for contractual reasons or because it was easy (and would pay money), not because Mr. Walker had anything in particular to say.
I also thought The Second Coming was particularly excellent.
He only wrote - what - 6 or so novels? Maybe I’ll make a point of re-reading as many as I can locate through my library system.
I imagine I’ll likely run up against libraries’ deaccession policies. Really burns me when books I remember as “classics” will be gone, to be replaced by shelf upon shelf of Dean Koontz… I remember how pissed I was when my library got rid of all of its Harry Crews! :mad:
Already decided to go through all of Austen. My daughter is a big fan, and I once liked Austen so much that my daughter’s middle name is Jane. Like Percy, only 5 or so novels to complete the opus.
I find it interesting to see how differently I appreciate books at different stages of my life. In grade school, I read Moby Dick every year (well - probably 4th thru 8th grades). Then I re-read it on my honeymoon and couldn’t imagine why!
Percy is the type of author whose name I so often see mentioned by authors/commentators I respect, or to whom I see authors I enjoy compared to. Wendell Berry is another. Those sorts of references reinforce my previous positive opinion.
I don;t remember it very well; I read it twenty years ago, maybe. I don’t recall liking it especially, though I didn’t hate it or anything either. Mostly I remember that not much happened.
I don’t mind it if a novel isn’t overly concerned with plot, but then it has to do other things really well, and unfortunately I don’t remember that this book made up for it with exceptional characterization, tremendously engaging setting, or the like.
As I recall, there is more “plot” in other books of his. But I recall liking WP largely because I enjoyed the way he wrote. His style appeals to me similarly to Greene, Waugh, and others.
Checked my library. Happily, they have all of WP’s novels, so I’ll give them a re-read. Not so good news on the Harry Crews front. My local library has NONE of his, and the linked system has only a few. None of them have The Gypsy’s Curse (my alltime fave novel) or The Gospel Singer - his debut. Both of those go for $100s on-line… 
Dinsdale, thanks for the tip, I will check out Crews next. My library network has at least 12 of his books. Meanwhile I’ve started Percy’s “Second Coming” and it seems promising.
Oh man - not good. Just finished Second Coming, and started Lancelot. Last Gentleman is on the nightstand. Definitely things to appreciate in both books, but hard for me to imagine that at a time I would have strongly maintained that WP was one of my favorite authors.
Really makes me question the extent to which my reading tastes/practices have changed over time.
I loved loved loved Love in the Ruins when I was in my 20s, but I’ve been afraid to go back and reread it…some fear that it hasn’t aged well, in particular his take on women.
Dinsdale, funny you should mention it, I just finished The Second Coming myself. Again, I was kind of underwhelmed and felt that the plot was underdeveloped. I think I’m done with Percy.