Wise blood
O'Conner's first novel chronicles the tale of Hazel Motes, a young man caught in a post-modern struggle of personal religious introspection and defiance. Haze interacts with various characters, including a cynical street preacher and his daughter and a man with "wise blood", in a world where religion and faith often do not coincide. From author's note: "That belief in Christ is to some a matter of life and death has been a stumbling block for readers who would prefer to think it a matter of no great consequence. For them Hazel Motes' integrity lies in his trying with such vigor to get rid of the ragged figure who moves from tree to tree in the back of his mind. For the author Hazel's integrity lies in his not being able to do so. Does one's own integrity ever lie in what he is not able to do?"
Print Book, English, 2000, ©1949
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 2000, ©1949