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The Gaudy Place
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The Gaudy Place Paperback - 1994

by Fred Chappell

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Reader reviews for The Gaudy Place

From the publisher

Fred Chappell's The Gaudy Place is perhaps the first novel to depict the society of the street people of the New South and their relationship to the middle class. For its wry portrayal of displacement and injustice this novel was awarded the Sir Walter Raleigh Prize.

The street-smart teenager Arkie triggers the events of the story with his ambition to rise in economic status. He proposes business deals to the prostitute Clemmie and the successful con man Oxie, a hustler who aspires to political office. When the prank of a middle-class teenager, Linn Harper, offers Oxie the surprising opportunity to gain a foothold in respectable society, an unexpected climax reveals the interdependence of all social levels in a culture too quickly changing from a rural to an urban character. Here is a small world in which quick wits and wily survival skills are necessary and admirable, even though the race is not always to the swift.

Originally published in 1973, The Gaudy Place is drily humorous, darkly ironic, fast-moving, and entertaining. Its best strength is its gallery of sharply drawn, fondly observed characters unknowingly at odds with one another.

From the rear cover

Fred Chappell's The Gaudy Place is perhaps the first novel to depict the society of the street people of the New South and their relationship to the middle class. For its wry portrayal of displacement and injustice this novel was awarded the Sir Walter Raleigh Prize. The street-smart teenager Arkie triggers the events of the story with his ambition to rise in economic status. He proposes business deals to the prostitute Clemmie and the successful con man Oxie, a hustler who aspires to political office. When the prank of a middle-class teenager, Linn Harper, offers Oxie the surprising opportunity to gain a foothold in respectable society, an unexpected climax reveals the interdependence of all social levels in a culture too quickly changing from a rural to an urban character. Here is a small world in which quick wits and wily survival skills are necessary and admirable, even though the race is not always to the swift. Originally published in 1973, The Gaudy Place is drily humorous, darkly ironic, fast-moving, and entertaining. Its best strength is its gallery of sharply drawn, fondly observed characters unknowingly at odds with one another.

Details

  • Title The Gaudy Place
  • Author Fred Chappell
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition First Edition Th
  • Pages 192
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher LSU Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, U.S.A.
  • Publication date 1994-03-01
  • ISBN 9780807119341 / 0807119342
  • Weight 0.54 lbs (0.24 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.48 x 5.55 x 0.55 in (21.54 x 14.10 x 1.40 cm)
  • Category Fiction - General
  • Library of Congress subjects Psychological fiction, College teachers - Fiction
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 94148979
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

About the author

Fred Chappell is the author of twenty-six books of poetry, fiction, and critical commentary. His most recent collection was Shadow Box. A native of Canton in the mountains of western North Carolina, he taught at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro from 1964 to 2004 and was the Poet Laureate of North Carolina from 1997 to 2002. He and his wife, Susan, live in Greensboro.

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GAUDY PLACE

by Chappell, Fred

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  • Paperback
  • first
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First Edition Thus
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780807119341 / 0807119342
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1
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A$11.68
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Baton Rouge, La: Louisiana State University Press. 1994. First Edition Thus. Softcover. 0807119342 . As New with no dust jacket; Voices of the South; Trade PB; 178 pages .
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The Gaudy Place

The Gaudy Place

by Fred Chappell

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  • Paperback
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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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Louisiana State University Press, 1994. Paperback. Very Good. Disclaimer:Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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The Gaudy Place : A Novel
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The Gaudy Place : A Novel

by Chappell, Fred

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780807119341 / 0807119342
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LSU Press. Used - Good. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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The Gaudy Place : A Novel
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The Gaudy Place : A Novel

by Chappell, Fred

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Used
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780807119341 / 0807119342
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1
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Description:
LSU Press. Used - Good. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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The Gaudy Place: A Novel (Voices of the South)
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The Gaudy Place: A Novel (Voices of the South)

by Chappell, Fred

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  • Paperback
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Used
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780807119341 / 0807119342
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LSU Press, 1994-03-01. paperback. Used: Good. 6.00x0.40x9.00. Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.
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A$27.92
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The Gaudy Place: A Novel (Voices of the South)
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The Gaudy Place: A Novel (Voices of the South)

by Chappell, Fred

  • Used
  • Good
  • Paperback
Condition
Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780807119341 / 0807119342
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paperback. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items. May be an ex-library book.
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The Gaudy Place: A Novel (Voices of the South)
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The Gaudy Place: A Novel (Voices of the South)

by Chappell, Fred

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  • Paperback
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New
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780807119341 / 0807119342
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A$126.43
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Description:
LSU Press, 1994-03-01. Paperback. New. New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title!
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Item price
A$126.43
A$8.68 Delivery to USA