Every time I read Joyce Carol Oates, I don't understand why I don't do it all the time. This novel was first published in 1967, which JCO later revised. This is the 2002 edition. That is another fascinating thing about Oates, as an author: that she has rethought and revised some of her work.

The title comes from a Hieronymus Bosch painting, which has been interpreted to represent the idea of paradise lost. Indeed, this historical novel, which starts during the depression, illustrates much that is tragic about society.

Clara Walpole is the central character, but her life is defined by the men in her life, who are drawn vividly. Her life starts as the daughter of a migrant worker, which means she worked from an early age and did not get an education. When she runs away and accepts help from a man she believes she is in love with (at about age fourteen), her life is defined by his visits. Eventually, she is married to a rich man, which defines her socially. In the end, it will be her son who will change her life.


I've now completed The Wonderland Quartet, though I read the others ages ago. Each one is excellent.