In 'Sleepless Nights,' Elizabeth Hardwick masterfully weaves a tapestry of memory and contemplation that explores the complexities of urban life and human relationships. As the protagonist navigates the sleepless cityscape of New York, her introspective journey reveals the profound connections and haunting alienations of her existence. With lyrical prose, Hardwick paints vivid portraits of the people who inhabit her world, each embodying the struggles of love, loss, and longing. This is not just a tale of sleepless nights, but an exploration of what it means to be truly awake to the human experience. Dive into this captivating narrative that challenges the boundaries of time and memory, inviting you to reflect on your own restless nights.
By Elizabeth Hardwick
Published: 2001
""The most profound thing that can happen in one's life is the simple act of being awake to the world, yet too often we drift through sleepless nights, lost in the thoughts of what might have been.""
In Sleepless Nights a woman looks back on her life—the parade of people, the shifting background of place—and assembles a scrapbook of memories, reflections, portraits, letters, wishes, and dreams. An inspired fusion of fact and invention, this beautifully realized, hard-bitten, lyrical book is not only Elizabeth Hardwick's finest fiction but one of the outstanding contributions to American literature of the last fifty years.
Elizabeth Hardwick (1916-2007) was an accomplished American author, critic, and co-founder of The New York Review of Books. Renowned for her sharp intellect and incisive prose, Hardwick's writing often explored themes of feminism, identity, and the complexities of modern life. Among her notable works are 'The Ghostly Lover' (1945), 'Sleepless Nights' (1979), and 'Bartleby in Manhattan' (1983). Her unique style blends rich, lyrical language with a keen psychological insight, establishing her as a significant voice in 20th-century literature.
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“"The most profound thing that can happen in one's life is the simple act of being awake to the world, yet too often we drift through sleepless nights, lost in the thoughts of what might have been."”
Sleepless Nights
By Elizabeth Hardwick
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