Stepping Westward

Description

'A satirist of great assurance and accomplishment.' Observer Frustrated novelist James Walker is setting off for the heartland of America to reinvigorate himself after years spent living a drab life in a drab English city. The institution for which he is destined, Benedict Arnold University -- 'Take a BA at BA' -- is still in the grip of McCarthyism, but Walker soon discovers that certain members of BA's academic staff insist that he throws himself right into the swing of things ...Characterized by Bradbury's trademark satirical wit, Stepping Westward expertly explores the push-pull relationship of '60s modernism and '50s reservation.

Author description

Malcolm Bradbury was a well-known novelist, critic and academic, and founder of the creative writing department at the University of East Anglia. He was the author of seven novels, including The History Man and Rates of Exchange, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. He was awarded a knighthood in 2000 and died the same year.