by William Maxwell
It is an old-fashioned novel, without big emotional waves or arcs of suspense. Nevertheless, it caught me. Maybe because it is situated in a time when America wasn’t that rich, and the story deals with the friendship between two adolescents of the poorer class. Between a strong and successful but not so intelligent guy on one hand, and on the other a physically weak but highly intelligent and emotional one. They help each other, they sleep in the same bed, they share everything. Bud, the boxer, has a girlfriend, but Lymie, the poet, can talk to her in a different way. Bud feels that he cannot compete in this area and becomes poisoned by jealousy without real reason. Lymie has also a burden he carries unconsciously, making him almost a subdued servant. In the beginning of their friendship as kids, Bud forced him in a fight to take off his wet cloth despite his fear resistance. Finally there is also the possibility that Lymie could be homosexual. This would also be a deeper explanation of his suicide attempt.
Facts:
English title: The Folded Leaf
Original title: The Folded Leaf
Published: 1945
