Joyce Carol Oates, Middle Age: A Romance

Martin Kich (Wright State University)
Download PDF Add to Bookshelf Report an Error

As several reviewers have noted,

Middle Age

seems to be a reworking of the basic subject matter of

American Appetites

(1989). Both novels are set in affluent communities in the lower Hudson River valley, and both focus on social circles that are convulsed by an unexpected death. In

American Appetites

, a woman dies when her husband accidently shoves her through a window and she falls to her death on a patio below it. The impact of this tragedy is extended and compounded by the decision to charge the husband with murder, a decision that is at least in part politically motivated. In

Middle Age

, the death is more clearly accidental. When a boat capsizes, Adam Berendt attempts to save a girl from drowning but, in the process, suffers a fatal heart attack and, as if for extra measure, a…

6788 words

Citation: Kich, Martin. "Middle Age: A Romance". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 September 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=14014, accessed 05 October 2024.]

14014 Middle Age: A Romance 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

Save this article

Leave Feedback

The Literary Encyclopedia is a living community of scholars. We welcome comments which will help us improve.