The beetle leg
John Hawkes (Author), Sophie Hawkes (Typographer), Thomas Merton (Photographer), David Ford (Book designer), Ralph Ellison Collection (Library of Congress)
The Beetle Leg, John Hawkes's second full-length novel, was first published by New Directions in 1951. Now, after more than fifteen years of underground existence, this brilliant novel is emerging as a classic of visionary writing and still remains Hawkes's only work devoted solely to American life. As a 'surrealist Western" (Newsweek), and a violent and poetic portrayal of "a landscape of sexual apathy" (Albert J. Guerard), The Beetle Leg is a rich flight into the special vein of comedy that Hawkes had begun to exploit a decade before the popular acceptance of "black humor." Provided by publisher
Print Book, English, 1951
New Directions, New York, 1951