He seems to have traveled to maryland, where he had inherited property and to have sold it there in 1717. The sot weed factor is a 760 page historical novel written by the national book award winning author john barth and first published in 1960. A satirical epic of the colonization of maryland based on the life of an actual poet, ebenezer cooke, who wrote a poem of the same title. The sot weed factor is a 1960 novel by john barth that satirizes picaresque novels such as tristram shandy and tom jones. The sot weed factor 1960 was initially intended as the completing novel of a trilogy comprising his first two realist novels, but, as a consequence of barth s maturation as a writer, it developed into a different project. The project gutenberg ebook of the sotweed factor, by. This page contains details about the fiction book the sot weed factor by john barth published in 1960. Read the sot weed factor by john barth available from rakuten kobo. In the last years of the seventeenth century there was to be found among the fops and fools of the london coffeehouses one rangy, gangling flitch called ebenezer cooke, more ambitious than talented, and yet more talented than prudent, who, like his friendsinfolly, all of whom were supposed to be educating at oxford or cambridge, had found the sound of mother english more fun to game with. The sot weed factor has acquired the status of a modern classic. John barth s 1960 masterpiece, the sot weed factor, keeps improving with age. He apparently had experiences similar to those of the poems protagonist. The real ebenezer cook was born probably in london, probably about 1670. Pdf the sotweed factor book by john barth free download.
Jan 12, 2017 i should point out that barth based his novel on a real person, ebenezer cooke, who, in fact, did write a poem entitled the sot weed factor, which was published in london in 1708. This is a mock history of the real life poet ebenezer cooke, who wrote the hudibrastic poem the sot weed factor. The sot weed factor is very funny, very inventive, and deserved of its modern classic status. The main characters of this fiction, historical story are. The sot weed factor by john barth is an expanded parody of the historic ebenezer cookes poem of the same tide as well as of the latters role as colonial marylands first poet laureate. His initial difficulty is that his tutor teaches him to make a game of learning so that later he can find no reason to choose between philosophies, careers or simple actions during the thirty years to follow.
The sot weed factor ebook by john barth rakuten kobo. The songs plot is not all that far from what john barth is up to in the sot weed factor, but barth is far more dare i say it exhausting. The adventures and manners described are ludicrous and certainly very unpolished. Set in the late 1600s, it recounts the widely chaotic odyssey of hapless, ungainly ebenezer cooke, sent to the new world to look after his fathers tobacco business and to record the struggles of the maryland colony in an epic poem.
Near fine limited edition from the franklin library. Buy a cheap copy of the sot weed factor book by john barth. This book is the 556th greatest fiction book of all time as determined by. Theyd get really drunk and i saw them get in fist fights on stage, said the dearly beloveds tom walker about the sot weed factor. The sotweed factor takes its title from the poem the sotweed factor, or a voyage to maryland, a satyr 1708 by the englishborn poet ebenezer cooke c. In which is describd the laws, government, courts and constitutions of the country, and also the buildings, feasts, frolicks, entertainments and drunken humours of the inhabitants of that part of america. Aug 05, 2011 i finished the audiobook version of john barth s novel the sot weed factor last week. As barth is wont to do, the sot weed factor is not only the title of this book, but it is also the title of a poem in the book which is penned by the lead character, who is himself a sot weed factor sot weed being a slang term for tobacco, and a factor being an agent, middleman or dealer. Whereas his earlier fiction considered these questions in a contemporary context, barth s third novel introduces an existential perspective into lateseventeenthcentury colonial america.
A parody of the historical novel, it is based on and takes its title from a satirical poem published in 1708 by ebenezer cooke, who is the protagonist of barth s work. The meaning of form heide ziegler abstract the sol weed factor by john banh is an expanded parody of the historic ebenczcr cookes poem of the same tide as weu as of the laners role as oolonial marylands first poet laureate. I should point out that barth based his novel on a real person, ebenezer cooke, who, in fact, did write a poem entitled the sot weed factor, which was published in london in 1708. Here are our closest matches for the sot weed factor by barth, john. The sot weed factor returns to barth s earlier exploration of the existentialist notions of action, choice, and value. But in the oourse of the novel the dual nature of parody, as defined between the opposite polts of imitation and play, or. The great colonial american novel was written more than half a century ago. Jul, 2010 it was only after finishing the novel that i went back and read barths foreword, which he wrote in 1987 for the release of a new, slightly shortened anchor books edition. This is a mock history of the real life poet ebenezer cooke, who wrote the hudibrastic poem the sotweed factor. Free download or read online the sot weed factor pdf epub book.
The sotweed factor john barth books tell you why, inc. Reviewed by giuseppe dellucci for your safety and comfort, read carefully ebooks the sot weed factor john barth librarydoc90 pdf pdf the science of harry potter how magic really works roger highfield librarydoc90. Complete summary of john barth s the sot weed factor. Explore releases from the sot weed factor at discogs.
Focus is particularly on the eastern shore of maryland, the inner coast of the bay which. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 756 pages and is available in paperback format. The songs plot is not all that far from what john barth is up to in the sotweed factor, but barth is far more dare i say it exhausting. From the foreword i learned that the sotweed factor was originally published in the summer of 1960, when barth was just 30, exactly 50 years before i finally came to it. Cook iv calls his poem a satyr, there is, in his account of early habits. Click to read more about the sot weed factor by john barth. The sot weed factor by john barth and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
Obviously barth author previous of the end of the road and the floating opera believed he needed these approximately 500,000 words to achieve his effects. The novel marks the beginning of barths literary postmodernism. The sotweed factor is a 1960 novel by the american writer john barth. Ebenezer cooke, an innocent like candide, was born in maryland but raised in 17th century england. Id tried to read the novel a few times in the past, never getting past page 56 of my bantam mass market edition, which runs to 819 pages. The sotweed factor, picaresque novel by john barth, originally published in 1960 and revised in 1967. Considered by critics to be barth s most distinguished masterpiece, the sot weed factor has acquired the status of a modern classic.
The sotweed factor by barth, john, 1930publication date. A sotweed factor, was a tobacco agent or supercargo. Time included the novel in its time 100 best englishlanguage novels from 1923 to 2005. Shop for vinyl, cds and more from the sot weed factor at the discogs marketplace. A sot weed factor, was a tobacco agent or supercargo. Setting for most of barths novels and key to the action in the sotweed factor. The novel marks the beginning of barth s literary postmodernism. A parody of the historical novel, it is based on and takes its title from a satirical poem published in 1708 by ebenezer cooke, who is the protagonist of barths work. An incredibly complex plot and some 1100 pages take him to the new world to manage his. A factor is a middleman who buys something to resell it. The first edition of the novel was published in 1960, and was written by john barth. This modern classic is a hilarious tribute to all the most insidious human vices, with a hero who is one of the. The sotweed factor by john barth the 556th greatest.