Whence All But He Had Fled

by L.J. Davis

Discover the charm and allure of this carefully preserved gem, steeped in history and rich with knowledge. This rare and vintage book is a perfect addition to any bibliophile's collection, offering a unique insight into the era it hails from. Its pages hold more than just words; they are a testimony to the passage of time, holding stories within stories that transport readers back in time. This piece of literary history awaits its new home. Please note, being an antique item, minor signs of age and use are part of its unique charm."

Genres: Fiction

247 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Lawrence James Davis, better known as L. J. Davis, was an American writer, whose novels focussed on Brooklyn, New York.

Davis's novel, A Meaningful Life, described by the Village Voice as a "scathing 1971 satire about a reverse-pioneer from Idaho who tries to redeem his banal existence through the renovation of an old slummed-up Brooklyn town house", was reissued in 2009, with an introduction by Jonathan Lethem. Lethem, a childhood friend of one of Davis's sons, praised the novel in an essay about Brooklyn authors, which resulted in New York Review Books Classics reprinting it after nearly 40 years.

Davis has been a resident of Brooklyn since 1965. He was the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1975 to write fiction, but then began to write journalism, notably for Harper's Magazine.

Davis died at his home in Brooklyn on April 6, 2011.

Reviews

[🐴 🍖]

the first 26 pp of this is a comedic masterpiece, very literally laugh-out-loud funny... i'll refrain from spoilage but if you're planning to move, read this and take comfort that, whatever goes awry, you won't be going thru the same tribulations as probish. nothing in the rest of the book comes close w/r/t hilarity but also i finished it in two days which suggests that there was something compelling afoot??

[Thayer Berlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I searched this title on a lark, to see if it was still in print. L.J. Davis' book is timeless in both character portrayal and in the sense that the first dip into the waters of independence is one's most memorable...if not tripped up, from time to time, by the ego plumage of everyone else dancing the waltz. This book was passed around from friend to friend a lot, I remember. I still have this book in a trunk of collectible treasures, tattered and well read by many.