Mortal Summer by Mark Van Doren
"Mortal Summer" by Mark Van Doren is a novel written in the early 1950s, exploring themes of love, betrayal, and the human connection to both the divine and the mortal. The story intricately intertwines mythological figures with the lives of ordinary people in a rural setting, presenting a poignant commentary on the nature of life and relationships. Set against a backdrop of a fleeting summer, the book reflects on the beauty and
tragedy of human existence. The narrative revolves around the lives of Daniel, Dora, and Bruce, with a focus on Daniel's internal struggles as he grapples with his feelings for Dora while being haunted by the consequences of their prior affair. As summer unfolds, the tension between the characters escalates, revealing their concealed emotions, societal expectations, and the looming presence of divine entities who influence their lives. Through a series of events that culminate in Dora’s painful childbirth and tragic death, the novel highlights the complexity of love, loss, and the idea of duty. The gods watch over these mortal struggles, embodying the tension between divine will and human frailty, ultimately illustrating the transient yet profound nature of human experiences. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Van Doren, Mark, 1894-1972 |
|---|---|
| LoC No. | 54018137 |
| Title | Mortal Summer |
| Credits | Tim Lindell, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.) |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 91.5 (5th grade). Very easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | American poetry -- 20th century |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 64783 |
| Release Date | Mar 10, 2021 |
| Last Update | Oct 18, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 254 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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