By Love Possessed
Encyclopedia
By Love Possessed is a novel, written by James Gould Cozzens
. It was published in 1957, by Harcourt Brace and Company. The novel was bestselling and critically acclaimed. It was awarded the Howells prize, an award given every five years to the best novel of the previous 5 years.
The novel was turned into a film
, starring Lana Turner
. In 1961, it was the first inflight film, screened on a TWA
flight.
By Love Possessed was one of Cozzens' "professional novels," stories that presents fully developed characters, with a special emphasis on the details of their work.
Arthur Jr. is a partner in the small law firm founded by his father and Noah Tuttle. As a young man, Arthur married Noah's daughter, Hope Tuttle; they had two children, a son and a daughter, who are now grown. Hope died after giving birth to their daughter. Arthur is now married to a younger woman named Clarissa, who had been his daughter's tennis coach. The law practice currently consists of Arthur, Noah, and another man named Julius Penrose. It is said that Arthur had a brief but intense affair with Marjorie Penrose, Julius' wife.
Two cases preoccupy Arthur during the course of the novel. One concerns the probate
of the estate of Michael McCarthy. The other is the arrest of Ralph Detweiler for rape. He is also called on to deal with a new pastor in the Episcopal Church, who is asking him to take a role in the leadership of the parish. He also meets with a friend of Marjorie's, a woman who wants to discuss converting to Catholicism.
Many years ago, a trolley line had been built in the town. Noah Tuttle had encouraged his clients, including Michael McCarthy, to invest in it. The trolley company went bankrupt, however, due to the rise of the automobile. Noah handled the bankruptcy case and, to the amazement of all, managed to return some money to the investors. The novel, however, begins to hint at a darker side to Noah's brilliance. He ridicules an elderly woman for wanting to move some of her funds from bonds into stocks. He bristles at the suggestion that the endowment of the parish could be transferred to management by the dioceses. During a hearing supervised by Arthur, Noah has an outburst when questioned about the assets of the McCarthy estate.
Meanwhile, Ralph Detweiler, a young man, has been accused of what would now be called “date rape," and is dealing with the pregnancy of another. He flees to New York, whereupon his distraught sister Helen commits suicide. Arthur examines the records that Helen has been maintaining and discovers that Noah has been embezzling from the trusts that he managed. This was the source of the money from the bankruptcy settlement. Noah embezzled $200,000 from the "Orcutt bequest" and has since been manipulating the money in his trusts, robbing Peter to pay Paul while attempting to replenish the funds. Arthur also learns that Julius Penrose has been aware of the embezzlement for some time. Julius urges Arthur to keep quiet, hinting that he is aware of Arthur’s affair with his wife, and that he is grateful that he has been silent about that. Arthur contemplates his position, where there are no good choices. He says: “Life, that has unfairly served so many others, at last unfairly serves me”.
Hope Winner (deceased) - Arthur’s first wife, who died giving birth to his now teenage daughter. Arthur is troubled by the thought that his second wife is much more sexually responsive.
Clarissa Winner – Arthur’s second wife, who was his daughter’s tennis coach, considerably younger than Arthur. An extended love making passage of the two is both highly praised by some critics, and derided by others.
Arthur Winner, Senior (deceased) – Arthur’s father and (with Noah Tuttle) founder of his law firm. He is referred to as the “Man of Reason”.
Warren Winner (deceased) - Arthur’s elder son who he found ungovernable. He was expelled from boarding school for striking a teacher. The flash back scene where Arthur is told the circumstances of Warren’s death is set at a base similar to that of Guard of Honor
. Warren’s death, along with that of several others, was a direct result of his reckless flying in disobedience of orders. He is the reminiscent of Lieutenant Colonel Benny Carricker, one of the key characters in Guard of Honor
.
Julius Penrose – Arthur’s partner. Julius’ long reflection of the nature of Catholicism (as he contemplated his wife’s conversion) was one of the more controversial passages in the book.
Best Seller list for 34 weeks, holding the number two position below Peyton Place
and then number 1 for several months, before being displaced by Anatomy of a Murder
. Over 500,000 copies were initially sold. The Readers Digest Condensed version sold over 3,000,000.
Initial reviews were overwhelmingly favorable. However, there was a reaction to the book itself; the extent of the positive reviews and a TIME
cover story about Cozzens' “The Hermit of Lambertville”. Cozzens was criticized for the denseness of his style and unrealism in conversations. He was also criticized for being an upholder of "the Establishment", and having a pessimistic view of human potential. There is little dispute about having those viewpoints. He was also criticized as a bigot.
At one point in the book, Noah refers to “Jew lawyer tricks,” and another character defends the previous generation’s attitude towards Jews. Julius Penrose’s extended disquisition on Catholicism, and the absurdity of Marjorie’s friend named Mrs. Pratt (her explanation of "things" to Arthur) both led to charges of anti-Catholicism. There was also more than a hint of a condescending attitude towards African-Americans, represented in the Revere family, which had provided servants to only the “best families” in town for generations. The charge of anti-Semitism was the strongest, and was reinforced by the most critical article on the book appearing in Commentary. Cozzens' defenders point out that Cozzens, far from being discriminatory, had a fairly low opinion of the entire human race. They also point out that the only person he was close to was his wife, who was Jewish.
Dwight Macdonald
’s Commentary
article—“By Cozzens Possessed, a Review of Reviews”—started the critical firestorm. McDonald characterized the success of By Love Possessed as “the most alarming literary news of the year.” Macdonald’s review has been credited with “eviscerating” Cozzens, and ruining his career. It is still cited as one of the high points of Macdonald’s career, and one of the best examples of a damning book review. Macdonald’s review did not prevent the American Academy of Arts and Letters from awarding By Love Possessed the prestigious William Dean Howells Medal in 1960, for the most prestigious work of fiction in the last five years. However, the Commentary article itself became a significant part of American literary history. For many, By Love Possessed is best known from Macdonald’s review.
New York: Harcourt Brace 2nd printing for Book of the Month Club.
New York: Harcourt Brace four additional printings.
London: Longmans Green 1958
New York: Crest 1959. Paperback.
Harmondsworth: Penuin 1960. Paperback
New York: Harcourt Brace and World- Harvest paperback 1967.
1960
James Gould Cozzens
James Gould Cozzens was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist.He is often grouped today with his contemporaries John O'Hara and John P. Marquand, but his work is generally considered more challenging. Despite initial critical acclaim, his popularity came gradually...
. It was published in 1957, by Harcourt Brace and Company. The novel was bestselling and critically acclaimed. It was awarded the Howells prize, an award given every five years to the best novel of the previous 5 years.
The novel was turned into a film
By Love Possessed (film)
By Love Possessed is a 1961 drama film distributed by United Artists. The movie was directed by John Sturges, and written by Charles Schnee, based on the novel by James Gould Cozzens...
, starring Lana Turner
Lana Turner
Lana Turner was an American actress.Discovered and signed to a film contract by MGM at the age of sixteen, Turner first attracted attention in They Won't Forget . She played featured roles, often as the ingenue, in such films as Love Finds Andy Hardy...
. In 1961, it was the first inflight film, screened on a TWA
Twa
The Twa are any of several hunting peoples of Africa who live interdependently with agricultural Bantu populations, and generally hold a socially subordinate position: They provide the farming population with game in exchange for agricultural products....
flight.
By Love Possessed was one of Cozzens' "professional novels," stories that presents fully developed characters, with a special emphasis on the details of their work.
Plot
Arthur Winner Jr., an attorney in a small American town. The time is roughly contemporary. The novel follows Arthur through 49 hours of his life, with flashbacks to prior events that tell us more about Arthur, his acquaintances, and his community. Many of the more significant characters, including Arthur Winner Sr., the protagonist's father, are dead at the time of the novel and are only seen in these flashbacks.Arthur Jr. is a partner in the small law firm founded by his father and Noah Tuttle. As a young man, Arthur married Noah's daughter, Hope Tuttle; they had two children, a son and a daughter, who are now grown. Hope died after giving birth to their daughter. Arthur is now married to a younger woman named Clarissa, who had been his daughter's tennis coach. The law practice currently consists of Arthur, Noah, and another man named Julius Penrose. It is said that Arthur had a brief but intense affair with Marjorie Penrose, Julius' wife.
Two cases preoccupy Arthur during the course of the novel. One concerns the probate
Probate
Probate is the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person by resolving all claims and distributing the deceased person's property under the valid will. A probate court decides the validity of a testator's will...
of the estate of Michael McCarthy. The other is the arrest of Ralph Detweiler for rape. He is also called on to deal with a new pastor in the Episcopal Church, who is asking him to take a role in the leadership of the parish. He also meets with a friend of Marjorie's, a woman who wants to discuss converting to Catholicism.
Many years ago, a trolley line had been built in the town. Noah Tuttle had encouraged his clients, including Michael McCarthy, to invest in it. The trolley company went bankrupt, however, due to the rise of the automobile. Noah handled the bankruptcy case and, to the amazement of all, managed to return some money to the investors. The novel, however, begins to hint at a darker side to Noah's brilliance. He ridicules an elderly woman for wanting to move some of her funds from bonds into stocks. He bristles at the suggestion that the endowment of the parish could be transferred to management by the dioceses. During a hearing supervised by Arthur, Noah has an outburst when questioned about the assets of the McCarthy estate.
Meanwhile, Ralph Detweiler, a young man, has been accused of what would now be called “date rape," and is dealing with the pregnancy of another. He flees to New York, whereupon his distraught sister Helen commits suicide. Arthur examines the records that Helen has been maintaining and discovers that Noah has been embezzling from the trusts that he managed. This was the source of the money from the bankruptcy settlement. Noah embezzled $200,000 from the "Orcutt bequest" and has since been manipulating the money in his trusts, robbing Peter to pay Paul while attempting to replenish the funds. Arthur also learns that Julius Penrose has been aware of the embezzlement for some time. Julius urges Arthur to keep quiet, hinting that he is aware of Arthur’s affair with his wife, and that he is grateful that he has been silent about that. Arthur contemplates his position, where there are no good choices. He says: “Life, that has unfairly served so many others, at last unfairly serves me”.
Main characters
Arthur Winner – A middle-aged small town lawyer. He is the central character.Hope Winner (deceased) - Arthur’s first wife, who died giving birth to his now teenage daughter. Arthur is troubled by the thought that his second wife is much more sexually responsive.
Clarissa Winner – Arthur’s second wife, who was his daughter’s tennis coach, considerably younger than Arthur. An extended love making passage of the two is both highly praised by some critics, and derided by others.
Arthur Winner, Senior (deceased) – Arthur’s father and (with Noah Tuttle) founder of his law firm. He is referred to as the “Man of Reason”.
Warren Winner (deceased) - Arthur’s elder son who he found ungovernable. He was expelled from boarding school for striking a teacher. The flash back scene where Arthur is told the circumstances of Warren’s death is set at a base similar to that of Guard of Honor
Guard of Honor
Guard of Honor is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel by James Gould Cozzens published in 1948. The novel is set during World War II, with most of the action occurring on or near a fictional Army Air Forces base in central Florida. The action occurs over a period of approximately 48 hours...
. Warren’s death, along with that of several others, was a direct result of his reckless flying in disobedience of orders. He is the reminiscent of Lieutenant Colonel Benny Carricker, one of the key characters in Guard of Honor
Guard of Honor
Guard of Honor is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel by James Gould Cozzens published in 1948. The novel is set during World War II, with most of the action occurring on or near a fictional Army Air Forces base in central Florida. The action occurs over a period of approximately 48 hours...
.
Julius Penrose – Arthur’s partner. Julius’ long reflection of the nature of Catholicism (as he contemplated his wife’s conversion) was one of the more controversial passages in the book.
The Controversy
By Love Possessed was an immediate commercial and critical success. It was on the The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
Best Seller list for 34 weeks, holding the number two position below Peyton Place
Peyton Place (novel)
Peyton Place is a 1956 novel by Grace Metalious. It sold 60,000 copies within the first ten days of its release and remained on the New York Times best seller list for 59 weeks. It was adapted as both a 1957 film and a 1964–69 television series....
and then number 1 for several months, before being displaced by Anatomy of a Murder
Anatomy of a Murder
Anatomy of a Murder is a 1959 American courtroom crime drama film. It was directed by Otto Preminger and adapted by Wendell Mayes from the best-selling novel of the same name written by Michigan Supreme Court Justice John D. Voelker under the pen name Robert Traver...
. Over 500,000 copies were initially sold. The Readers Digest Condensed version sold over 3,000,000.
Initial reviews were overwhelmingly favorable. However, there was a reaction to the book itself; the extent of the positive reviews and a TIME
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
cover story about Cozzens' “The Hermit of Lambertville”. Cozzens was criticized for the denseness of his style and unrealism in conversations. He was also criticized for being an upholder of "the Establishment", and having a pessimistic view of human potential. There is little dispute about having those viewpoints. He was also criticized as a bigot.
At one point in the book, Noah refers to “Jew lawyer tricks,” and another character defends the previous generation’s attitude towards Jews. Julius Penrose’s extended disquisition on Catholicism, and the absurdity of Marjorie’s friend named Mrs. Pratt (her explanation of "things" to Arthur) both led to charges of anti-Catholicism. There was also more than a hint of a condescending attitude towards African-Americans, represented in the Revere family, which had provided servants to only the “best families” in town for generations. The charge of anti-Semitism was the strongest, and was reinforced by the most critical article on the book appearing in Commentary. Cozzens' defenders point out that Cozzens, far from being discriminatory, had a fairly low opinion of the entire human race. They also point out that the only person he was close to was his wife, who was Jewish.
Dwight Macdonald
Dwight Macdonald
Dwight Macdonald was an American writer, editor, film critic, social critic, philosopher, and political radical.-Early life and career:...
’s Commentary
Commentary (magazine)
Commentary is a monthly American magazine on politics, Judaism, social and cultural issues. It was founded by the American Jewish Committee in 1945. By 1960 its editor was Norman Podhoretz, a liberal at the time who moved sharply to the right in the 1970s and 1980s becoming a strong voice for the...
article—“By Cozzens Possessed, a Review of Reviews”—started the critical firestorm. McDonald characterized the success of By Love Possessed as “the most alarming literary news of the year.” Macdonald’s review has been credited with “eviscerating” Cozzens, and ruining his career. It is still cited as one of the high points of Macdonald’s career, and one of the best examples of a damning book review. Macdonald’s review did not prevent the American Academy of Arts and Letters from awarding By Love Possessed the prestigious William Dean Howells Medal in 1960, for the most prestigious work of fiction in the last five years. However, the Commentary article itself became a significant part of American literary history. For many, By Love Possessed is best known from Macdonald’s review.
Publishing History
New York:Harcourt Brace 1957.New York: Harcourt Brace 2nd printing for Book of the Month Club.
New York: Harcourt Brace four additional printings.
London: Longmans Green 1958
New York: Crest 1959. Paperback.
Harmondsworth: Penuin 1960. Paperback
New York: Harcourt Brace and World- Harvest paperback 1967.
Sources
- James Gould Cozzens A Life Apart by Matthew J. Bruccoli. Harcourt Brace Jovanavitch 1983.
- New Acquist of True Experience edited by Matthew J. Bruccoli. Southern Illinois University Press 1973.
- The Novels of James Gould Cozzens by Frank Bracher. Harcourt Brace 1959.
- James Gould Cozzens - A Checklist compiled by James B. Merriwether. Detroit: Gale Research Company 1972.
- By Cozzens Possessed – A Review of Reviews by Dwight MacDonald. Commentary. March 1958.
- Return of the Repressed by John Thompson. Commentary. September 1968. (This is a review of Morning, Noon and Night, Cozzens final novel, but there is extensive discussion of the controversy.)
Award
William Dean Howells Medal of the American Academy of Arts and LettersWilliam Dean Howells Medal of the American Academy of Arts and Letters
The William Dean Howells Medal is awarded by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Established in 1925, it is given once every five years, generally in recognition of the most distinguished American novel published during that period, although some awards have been made to novelists for their...
1960