Look Homeward, Angel

In Thomas Wolfe’s autobiographical first novel, Look Homeward, Angel, readers follow the life of Eugene Gant, the youngest child of an alcoholic father and an ambitious mother, in the fictional town of Altemont, inspired by Wolfe’s own hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. Spanning Eugene's formative years until his departure at 19, the narrative vividly explores his imaginative spirit and yearning for a life beyond his challenging upbringing. With its poetic and rhapsodic prose, Wolfe's work left a significant mark on early 20th-century American literature, positioning him alongside esteemed Southern writers like William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor.