A Thousand Acres
Encyclopedia
A Thousand Acres is a 1991 novel
by American
author
Jane Smiley
. It won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
, the National Book Critics Circle Award
for fiction in 1991 and was adapted to a 1997 film of the same name
.
The novel is a contemporary retelling of Shakespeare
's King Lear
and is set on a thousand acre (four hundred hectares) farm in Iowa
that is owned by a family of a father and his three daughters. It is told through the point of view of the oldest daughter, Ginny.
The plot also focuses on Ginny's troubled marriage, her difficulties in bearing a child and her relationship with her family.
The novel maintains major themes present in Lear, namely: gender roles, appearances vs. reality, generational conflict, hierarchical structures (the Great chain of being
), madness, and the powerful force of nature.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
Jane Smiley
Jane Smiley
Jane Smiley is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist.-Biography:Born in Los Angeles, California, Smiley grew up in Webster Groves, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, and graduated from John Burroughs School. She obtained an A.B. at Vassar College, then earned an M.F.A. and Ph.D. from the...
. It won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction has been awarded for distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life. It originated as the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel, which was awarded between 1918 and 1947.-1910s:...
, the National Book Critics Circle Award
National Book Critics Circle Award
The National Book Critics Circle Award is an annual award given by the National Book Critics Circle to promote the finest books and reviews published in English....
for fiction in 1991 and was adapted to a 1997 film of the same name
A Thousand Acres (film)
A Thousand Acres is an American motion picture drama directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse, and starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Jessica Lange, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jason Robards....
.
The novel is a contemporary retelling of Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's King Lear
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
and is set on a thousand acre (four hundred hectares) farm in Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
that is owned by a family of a father and his three daughters. It is told through the point of view of the oldest daughter, Ginny.
Plot summary
Larry Cook is an aging farmer who decides to incorporate his farm, handing complete and joint ownership to his three daughters, Ginny, Rose, and Caroline. When the youngest daughter objects, she is removed from the agreement. This sets off a chain of events that brings dark truths to light and explodes long-suppressed emotions, as the story eventually reveals the long-term sexual abuse of the two eldest daughters that was committed by their father.The plot also focuses on Ginny's troubled marriage, her difficulties in bearing a child and her relationship with her family.
Similarity to King Lear
There are many similarities between King Lear and A Thousand Acres, including both plot details and character development. For example, the names of the main characters in the novel are reminiscent of their Shakespearean counterparts. Larry is Lear, Ginny is Goneril, Rose is Regan, and Caroline is Cordelia. The role of the Cook's neighbors, Harold Clark and his sons Loren and Jess, also rework the importance of Gloucester, Edgar and Edmund in King Lear.The novel maintains major themes present in Lear, namely: gender roles, appearances vs. reality, generational conflict, hierarchical structures (the Great chain of being
Great chain of being
The great chain of being , is a Christian concept detailing a strict, religious hierarchical structure of all matter and life, believed to have been decreed by the Christian God.-Divisions:...
), madness, and the powerful force of nature.
Characters
- Larry Cook (King Lear)
- Ginny Cook Smith (Goneril)
- Rose Cook Lewis (Regan)
- Caroline Cook Rasmussen (Cordelia)
- Ty Smith (Duke of Albany)
- Pete Lewis (Duke of Cornwall)
- Pammy and Linda Lewis
- Jess Clark (Edmund)
- Harold Clark (Earl of Gloucester)
- Loren Clark (Edgar)
- Marv Carson (The Fool)
External links
- Jane Smiley discusses A Thousand Acres on the BBC World Book ClubWorld Book ClubWorld Book Club is a radio programme on the BBC World Service. Each edition of the programme, which is broadcast on the first Saturday of the month with repeats into the following Monday, features a famous author discussing one of his or her books, often the most well-known one, with the public...