A Rage to Live
Book • 1949
John O'Hara's 'A Rage to Live' is a sweeping novel that delves into the romantic entanglements, social ambitions, and moral conflicts of its characters, notable for its candid exploration of sexuality and social status.
Popular in its time, the book includes frank scenes—such as a teenage girl's experience with menstruation and aggressive sexual encounters—that exposed younger readers to adult themes.
Oppenheimer cites it as an example of the adult literature Judy Blume accessed as a bookish child, shaping her comfort with writing about adolescent bodily experiences.
The novel's realist style and focus on social mores made it influential in mid-century American letters, though O'Hara's reputation has diminished over time.
'A Rage to Live' reflects O'Hara's interest in the collision of private desire and public respectability.
Popular in its time, the book includes frank scenes—such as a teenage girl's experience with menstruation and aggressive sexual encounters—that exposed younger readers to adult themes.
Oppenheimer cites it as an example of the adult literature Judy Blume accessed as a bookish child, shaping her comfort with writing about adolescent bodily experiences.
The novel's realist style and focus on social mores made it influential in mid-century American letters, though O'Hara's reputation has diminished over time.
'A Rage to Live' reflects O'Hara's interest in the collision of private desire and public respectability.
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Mark Oppenheimer
Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads | The Unlikely Rise of Judy Blume
Mentioned by
Mark Oppenheimer
Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads | The Unlikely Rise of Judy Blume
Mentioned by
Mark Oppenheimer
Gabfest Reads | The Unlikely Rise of Judy Blume
