Norwood - by Charles Portis (Paperback)

About the Book

Ex-marine and troubadour Norwood Pratt gets involved in a wild journey that takes him in and out of stolen cars, freight trains, and buses. As with all of Portis's fiction (including "True Grit"), the tone is cool, sympathetic, funny, and undeniability American.

Book Synopsis

Norwood, #1 New York Times bestselling author Charles Portis's first novel, displayed right out of the gate the wit, style, and singular voice that made him one of our great American writers.

"A great American deadpan comedy. . . . Norwood, like a belt of whiskey, cleared my sinuses right up." --Slate

Out of the Neon Desert of Roller Dromes, chili parlors, the Grand Ole Opry, and girls who want "to live in a trailer and play records all night" comes ex-marine and troubadour Norwood Pratt. Sent on a mission to New York by Grady Fring, the Kredit King, Norwood has visions of "speeding across the country in a late model car, seeing all the sights."

By the time he returns home to Ralph, Texas, Norwood has met his true love, Rita Lee, on a Trailway bus; befriended Edmund B. Ratner, the self-described "world's smallest perfect man"; and helped Joann, "the chicken with a college education," realize her true potential in life.

As with all of Portis's fiction, the tone is cool, sympathetic, funny, and undeniably American.

"Flawless . . . Norwood is a road novel as indispensable as On the Road itself." --Ed Park, Believer

Review Quotes

"Delightfully original... orchestrates some of the tinnier strains of today's America into a cool little fugue."

-- "New York Times"

"A comic masterpiece... a rollicking road trip novel about personal growth and the process of expanding one's worldview."

-- "Kenyon Review"

"This relaxed, funny first novel about an engaging young man in peculiar states of affairs features Norwood Pratt...a filling station attendant with a vague ambition to become a star on the Louisiana Hayride... Norwood is just simple enough to be believable and the story has just the right brand of humor. Laughable. Likable."

-- "Kirkus"

About the Author

Charles Portis (1933-2020) is celebrated as one of America's most distinctive and original literary voices. Best known for his classic novel True Grit, Portis combined sharp wit, deadpan humor, and a keen eye for the absurdities of everyday life to create stories that are both timeless and deeply American. His novels--including Norwood, The Dog of the South, Gringos, and True Grit--have earned cult status for their offbeat characters, comic brilliance, and narrative charm.

Beyond fiction, Portis was an accomplished journalist and essayist, producing incisive reportage and cultural commentary that reveal his unmatched gift for observation and language. His collected nonfiction, short stories, and plays in Escape Velocity showcase the full range of his talent, from satirical humor to poignant reflections on American identity.

Portis's work continues to captivate readers who value originality, wit, and storytelling that transcends genre. Whether through his iconic Western or his eccentric road novels, Portis remains a writer whose voice is unmistakable and whose influence endures.