The classic bestseller from the Pulitzer Prize winner dramatizes the rise of totalitarianism in the 1930s in a sweeping story of a transatlantic cruise featuring a cast of unforgettable characters. The story takes place in the summer of 1931, on board a cruise ship bound for Germany. Passengers include a Spanish noblewoman, a drunken German lawyer, an American divorcee, a pair of Mexican Catholic priests. This ship of fools is a crucible of intense experience, out of which everyone emerges forever changed. Rich in incident, passion, and treachery, the novel explores themes of nationalism, cultural and ethnic pride, and basic human frailty that are as relevant today as they were when the book was first published in 1962.
Editorial Reviews
"A masterpiece." -Harper's
"A phenomenal, rich, and delectable book." -Atlantic Monthly.
"A creative feat...Ship of Fools not only crowns Miss Porter's notable career but takes and should hold an eminent place among contemporary novels." -Chicago Tribune
"This vivid, beautifully written story is bathed in intelligence and humor. -New York Herald Tribune
About the Author
Katherine Anne Porter was an American journalist, essayist, short story writer, novelist, and political activist. Her 1962 novel Ship of Fools was the best-selling novel in America that year, but her short stories received much more critical acclaim.
