The Time of Man: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: highest marks
Review: Cited as a contemporary of William Faulkner and a major influence on Robert Penn Warren, Roberts is currently one of the most neglected American authors of the 20th century, and of the Southern Renaissance. The Time of Man is a quintessential Modernist novel, intricately structured and passionately written in Roberts' lively style. She renders her landscape with precision and a deep sense of place, and her characters come alive in the numinous Knobs of rural Kentucky. Introductions by Wade Hall and Robert Penn Warren. A must for any student of the Modernist period and a great pleasure to read. A neglected American classic.

Rating:
Summary: the little known classic
Review: The little known classic by Elizabeth Madox Roberts, The Time of Man, is a novel that deserves to be read, not just by scholars in the field of twentieth century literature, but by all who love a well crafted, universally moving tale of what it means to be alive in any time.

The novel tells the story of a young woman, Ellen Chesser, as she struggles to survive with her family in the knobs country of Kentucky; her coming of age reflects the universal challenges all humans must face on one level or another, and is captured beautifully in the subtle, poetic prose of Roberts.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to find a golden needle in a haystack, one that could very easily change your life, as great literature often will.