Norwood

Norwood by Charles Portis is a humorous novel that is a picaresque road trip story. The book description from the publisher describes it best: “Out of the American Neon Desert of Roller Dromes, chili parlors, The Grand Ole Opry, and girls who want “to live in a trailer and play records all night” comes ex-marine and troubadour Norwood Pratt. Sent on a mission to New York by Grady Fring, the Kredit King, Norwood has visions of “speeding across the country in a late model car, seeing all the sights.” Instead, he gets involved in a wild journey that takes him in and out of stolen cars, freight trains, and buses. By the time he returns home to Ralph, Texas, Norwood has met his true love, Rita Lee, on a Trailways bus; befriended Edmund B. Ratner, the second shortest midget in show business and “the world's smallest perfect fat man”; and helped Joann, “the chicken with a college education,” realize her true potential in life.”

Norwood is Portis's first novel and another book lovingly brought back to life by The Overlook Press along with classics True Grit and Dog of the South (another picaresque novel and a stronger one at that). Norwood Pratt is sent home to check on his sister Vernell after their father died, as it's claimed she's unable to look after herself. He helps her get a job and she quickly meets an older suitor who she marries. Finding himself now sharing their father's house with his sister and her grumpy husband, Norwood happily accepts a “job” from Grady Fring, the Kredit King, where he's tasked with driving a pair of cars to New York along with a beautiful yet pissed off performer, Miss Phillips. And the adventure begins. Norwood confesses his dream of becoming a country singer, Miss Phillips steals one of the cars and drives away to Chicago, and Norwood trips from one strange situation to another.

Portis excels at dry yet hilarious conversations and Norwood has plenty with a plethora of rascals on the trip, where he confesses his dream of singing on a radio show and doesn't hesitate to tell people when he doesn't like something. Norwood has a fantastic ability to stumble into one weird situation after another, yet is able dance through them without falling down. He even meets his future bride Rita Lee on a Greyhound bus—of all places—on the way back home to Ralph, Texas, and many of his acquaintances razz him about this, but he's lovestruck and determined to marry her, nonetheless.

Unfortunately, Norwood suffers from also being a relic of its time, and the use of the slurs “nigger” and “midget” becomes wearing later in the novel, and the humor of its time related to race and dwarfism just isn't considered funny nowadays. This is where later novel Dog of the South leapfrogs over Norwood as the better picaresque novel as it jettisons this type of humor for the most part, and focuses more on the foibles of its characters rather than their physical appearances.

Despite this, there is plenty to enjoy in this novel. I recommend it. I would give this book four stars.

I know it's not fair to compare an author's later masterpiece to his first novel.

But, I'll do it anyway.

“Norwood” was a slog despite being quite a slim volume. Even in the first few pages, I found myself not following what was happening. Sure, the characterization is interesting and there are sparkles of great dialogue, but this book goes a lot of nowhere despite mostly being set outside of the town from when Norwood came. Portis' later “True Grit” is absolutely amazing, so perhaps this book had to be shed to move on to future greatness.