Celebration - by Harry Crews (Paperback)

About the Book

Crews brings to life a world of has-beens, ruined men, forgotten wives--and the ebullient woman who is out to save them all--in this darkly hilarious novel centered in a gruesome Florida retirement community with peculiar residents.

Book Synopsis

Now from the author the Washington Post Book World calls "the dark chronicler of human vanity and folly" comes Celebration. The newest black comedy from Harry Crews is a biting, brilliant commentary set in a Florida rest-home gulag where the over-sixty-five set checks its dignity, self-esteem, and social security numbers at the door.
Forever and Forever is the aptly named retreat, populated by a motley crew of forgotten wives and ruined men who are waiting for death while working on their tans. The leader of this group is Stump, whose lost arm paid for Forever and Forever, and who believes the silent desperation that infuses the trailer park masks the fact that Forever and Forever is truly a small piece of hell on earth.
This ironic silence is shattered by the entrance of a beautiful young bombshell. Too Much is her name, and that is exactly what she is. This walking bonfire awakens long dead appetites in the inhabitants of Forever and Forever, reminding them of what they once were and can be again--alive.

From the Back Cover

Now from the author the Washington Post Book World calls "the dark chronicler of human vanity and folly" comes Celebration. The newest black comedy from Harry Crews is a biting, brilliant commentary set in a Florida rest-home gulag where the over-sixty-five set checks its dignity, self-esteem, and social security numbers at the door.

Forever and Forever is the aptly named retreat, populated by a motley crew of forgotten wives and ruined men who are waiting for death while working on their tans. The leader of this group is Stump, whose lost arm paid for Forever and Forever, and who believes the silent desperation that infuses the trailer park masks the fact that Forever and Forever is truly a small piece of hell on earth.

This ironic silence is shattered by the entrance of a beautiful young bombshell. Too Much is her name, and that is exactly what she is. This walking bonfire awakens long dead appetites in the inhabitants of Forever and Forever, reminding them of what they once were and can be again -- alive.

Review Quotes

Entertainment Weekly Crews is at his giddy, twisted best.

People Crews has remained for too long a hidden literary treasure.

The Charlotte Observer ...a tribute to individuality and yes, to celebrating life.

Gary Dretzka Chicago Tribune ...Dark and sometimes shocking...wonderfully ribald and deeply humane.

Karen Karbo The New York Times Book Review Shards of brilliance and of the gonzo wit that has made Crews's reputation as a dead-on satirist.

About the Author

Harry Crews is the author of twenty books and numerous articles and columns. He lives and works in Florida.