Paula Fox Criticism
Paula Fox, born in 1923 in New York City, is celebrated as a distinguished American novelist, essayist, and children's book author. Her literary career spans works known for their candid treatment of complex themes such as alienation, despair, and moral conflict. Fox's acclaim in children's and young adult fiction is highlighted by prestigious awards, including the Newbery Medal and the Hans Christian Andersen Medal. Her children’s literature, noted for its realism and depth, tackles difficult subjects without condescension, a feature praised by critics and readers alike.
Fox's major works delve into the nuanced struggles of her characters. In How Many Miles to Babylon? a young African-American boy navigates life amidst personal loss and societal challenges. The Slave Dancer, her most controversial work, examines the brutal realities of a slave ship through the eyes of a kidnapped child, earning both acclaim and critique for its portrayal of power dynamics. In One-Eyed Cat, a boy’s guilt over injuring a cat encapsulates broader themes of family secrets and reconciliation. Monkey Island and The Eagle Kite explore the existential themes of abandonment, homelessness, and coming to terms with family estrangement due to AIDS.
Fox's adult fiction, though less universally praised, is noted for exploring the intricacies of human relationships. In Desperate Characters, the disintegration of a middle-class couple’s marriage exposes deeper societal issues, earning recognition as a "small masterpiece." Her other novels, such as The Western Coast and A Servant's Tale, feature protagonists in search of purpose amid social and personal ambiguity, a theme noted by critics for its depth despite mixed receptions.
While some critics have found her works to be "depressing," Fox has argued against this simplification, emphasizing the literary value in exploring life's complexities without resorting to "happy endings." Despite divergent opinions, Paula Fox remains a pivotal figure in contemporary literature, acclaimed for her profound insights into the human condition, as noted in reviews like Books Considered and others.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Fox, Paula (Vol. 121)
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Poor George
(summary)
In the following review, Loprete offers a negative assessment of Poor George. George Mecklin, the hero (or anti-hero, if you prefer) of this slim and over-priced first novel, is a teacher in a private school in Manhattan. The novel explores his relationships and the consequences of his actions, culminating in a tragic ending.
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How Many Miles to Babylon?
(summary)
In the following review, Goodwin praises the uncanny realism in How Many Miles to Babylon? but expresses reservations about the book's appropriateness for young readers.
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Doing Their Own Thing
(summary)
In the following review, the anonymous critic praises The Stone-Faced Boy but recommends it for mature readers. The story follows Gus, a lone wolf who struggles to express his emotions and remains stone-faced to the end.
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Taken in Hand
(summary)
In the following review, Prescott finds The Western Coast stylistically interesting but its plot and purpose unclear. He discusses the formidable technical hurdles that Paula Fox set for herself in this novel, noting the lack of a strong plot and the focus on a series of events involving a changing group of characters. Prescott highlights the novel's social history aspect and the neutrality of the heroine, which serves as a device to understand other characters.
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Review of The Western Coast
(summary)
In the following review, Riley compares Fox to contemporary writers such as Joan Didion and Grace Paley but asserts that Fox is ultimately worthy of praise for her own literary achievements, notably because of her work in novels like The Western Coast.
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Distress Signals
(summary)
In the following review, Prescott praises the artistry of Fox's novels but finds them too deliberately difficult to be enjoyed by readers.
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Books Considered
(summary)
In the following review, Milton finds The Widow's Children to be a brilliant and accurate portrayal of the suffocating nature of contemporary life.
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Royalty in a Rainy Country: Two Novels of Paula Fox
(summary)
In the following essay, Bassoff discusses issues of deformation and paralysis in Desperate Characters and The Widow's Children.
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Paula Fox
(summary)
In the following essay, Townsend provides an overview of Fox's works for children, noting that Paula Fox was one of the most able new writers for children who emerged in the United States in the later 1960s. Her books were unusually varied, each with a distinct individual character, yet all stamped with her own imprint, showcasing a newness that comes from looking at things with new eyes.
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Staking Out Her Territory
(summary)
In the following review, Tyler praises Fox's realistic handling of teenage problems in A Place Apart.
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Some Thoughts on Imagination in Children's Literature
(summary)
In the following essay, Fox reflects on the ability of books to fuel the imagination, especially of children.
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Nightmares of History—The Outer Limits of Children's Literature
(summary)
In the following essay, Bosmajian discusses the 'historical nightmares' of slavery, the Holocaust, and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima as depicted in children's books, including Fox's The Slave Dancer.
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The Fresh-Air Kids, or Some Contemporary Versions of Pastoral
(summary)
In the following essay, Kuznets examines the use of the pastoral fantasy in children's literature—particularly Fox's How Many Miles to Babylon?—as a rite of passage for young protagonists.
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Novel Conditions
(summary)
In the following review, Birmelin praises Fox's ability in A Servant's Tale to render the perspective of social powerlessness but finds her choice of narrative style too opaque.
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Trying to Be Perfect
(summary)
In the following review, Tyler calls One-Eyed Cat a "book of real value" because of its honest portrayal of the parent-child dynamic.
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A Servant's Tale
(summary)
In the following review, Giddings asserts that while A Servant's Tale begins with a well-developed sense of purpose and character, the novel loses focus when Fox moves her characters to an urban setting.
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Valet Girl
(summary)
In the following review, Simon finds in A Servant's Tale a deftly handled examination of the individual power and purpose of the marginalized under-classes.
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A Not-So-Simple Heart
(summary)
In the following review, Pinckney finds A Servant's Tale to be an examination of the subversion of expected values and actions by an outsider to the dominant culture.
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Varieties of Children's Metafiction
(summary)
In the following essay, Moss includes How Many Miles to Babylon? in a discussion of the effectiveness of self-referential qualities in children's fiction.
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The Moonlight Man
(summary)
In the following review, Sheriff praises Fox's handling of her characters' ambiguous feelings for each other in The Moonlight Man. The story follows 15-year-old Catherine Ames as she visits her estranged father, exploring their complex relationship amidst his alcoholism and emotional distance.
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Breaking the Rules
(summary)
In the following review, Hayes applauds Fox's break with conventional teen-novel themes in The Moonlight Man, noting the complexity of emotion and mild didacticism of the novel.
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The Little Swineherd and Other Tales
(summary)
In the following review, the anonymous critic finds The Little Swineherd and Other Tales "luminous" and comic but also appropriately sober.
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Adventures to Remember
(summary)
In the following review, Manuel writes that Lily and the Lost Boy is "a coming-of-age story that will be remembered both for its emotional impact and for the sensory impressions that linger long after the last page is turned."
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Lily and the Lost Boy
(summary)
In the following review, Blubaugh admires Fox's portrayal of village life and of complicated emotional themes in Lily and the Lost Boy.
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Monkey Island
(summary)
In the following review, Fader praises Fox's deft handling of serious social issues in Monkey Island, which tells the story of eleven-year-old Clay Garrity, who searches for his missing mother while navigating life in a welfare hotel and an encampment of homeless people. The novel is an emotionally powerful story of one family's travail, addressing themes of abandonment, the concept of home, and the struggles faced by homeless individuals.
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No Place to Call Home
(summary)
In the following review, Smith assesses Monkey Island as an honest portrayal of homelessness, particularly the rarely dealt with issue of homelessness as it affects members of the middle class.
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A review of Amzat and His Brothers: Three Italian Tales Remembered by Floriano Vecchi
(summary)
In the following review, Rockman finds Amzat and His Brothers: Three Italian Tales Remembered by Floriano Vecchi too realistic and disturbing for children. Fox retells three Italian folk-tales that were told to her by a friend who heard them from his grandfather when he was a child growing up in a pre-World War II Italian village. The tales are variations of familiar stories: 'Mezgalten,' for example, contains elements of 'The Brementown Musicians' and 'The Wolf and the Kids.' Acts of violence may disturb some adults, as in the title story when Amzat and his wife trick his brothers into murdering their wives and then cause the drowning of the brothers. The third story shows the prejudice of villagers toward a woman and her son because of their habit of never bathing and the dull wits of the son. While the woman and son end their days living in a palace (and eventually learning the art of bathing), and the worst of their tormentors end up poorly, the depiction of the heckling is harsh. The people in these stories seem to be more rooted in real life than the usual archetypal folktale characters. A good welcome, but this isn't the one. McCully's pen-and-ink sketches add little.
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Amzat and His Brothers: Three Italian Tales Remembered by Floriano Vecchi
(summary)
In the following review, the anonymous critic admires the traditional fairy tale tone and themes of Amzat and His Brothers: Three Italian Tales Remembered by Floriano Vecchi. The review highlights the stories' elements of humor and darker themes, including justice and revenge, as well as Paula Fox's distinctive voice in retelling these tales.
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Western Wind
(summary)
In the following review, the critic admires Fox's spare but evocative prose in Western Wind. The story follows eleven-year-old Elizabeth Benedict as she spends August with her grandmother in a primitive Maine island cottage, exploring themes of awareness, independence, and the relationship between generations. The review highlights Fox's effective use of imagery and narrative style that enhances the emotional depth of the characters and their experiences.
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Western Wind
(summary)
In the following review, Jaffee finds Western Wind slightly melodramatic but admires the book's probing of human relationships without offering simplistic solutions.
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About Language
(summary)
In the following essay, Fox explores the ability of language and stories, at their best, to concretize the ephemeral and ambiguous nature of universal experience and what Fox considers the unfortunate bastardizing of language in contemporary parlance.
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The Eagle Kite
(summary)
In the following review, Sutton finds The Eagle Kite too ambiguous in its handling of the subject matter. He discusses the complexities of a family in crisis, the struggles of love and betrayal, and critiques the author's use of metaphor over emotional engagement.
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The Eagle Kite
(summary)
In the following review, Morrow praises The Eagle Kite for its honest portrayal of both deeply personal and socially charged contemporary family issues. The novel follows Liam, a high school freshman, as he navigates the emotional turmoil of his father's illness and the secrets within his family. It explores themes of grief, disappointment, and love, presenting a nuanced view of its characters and their struggles.
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The Eagle Kite
(summary)
In the following review, Vasilakis asserts that, although the themes in The Eagle Kite may be difficult for teenagers to absorb, the book is ultimately worth the effort. The story follows Liam Cormac, who confronts the repressed memory of seeing his father embrace another man as he learns his father is dying of AIDS. The family enters a period of denial, and Liam struggles with his emotions until he finally talks to his father, leading to a journey of acceptance and love.
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The Eagle Kite
(summary)
In the following review, the anonymous critic finds The Eagle Kite a "haunting exploration of guilt." Although The Eagle Kite is probably the shortest and easiest of the Honor Books to read, its haunting exploration of guilt may make it one of the most complex. First, is the guilt that thirteen-year-old Liam feels for hating his parents. He hates his mother for lying to him about how his father got AIDS. She said it was from a blood transfusion his father had during an appendicitis operation, but Liam knows from sex education class that blood transfusions have "been safe for years." Liam hates his father for loving a young man named Geoff and getting AIDS from him, and Liam hates himself for joining in the web of lies by pretending that he believes his mother and by telling his friends that his father has cancer.
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Poor George
(summary)
- Fox, Paula (Vol. 2)
- Fox, Paula (Vol. 8)