Styron earned honors, respect for his novels
Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, November 1, 2006
William Styron, the author whose novels plunged readers into the dark edges of historical moments, died of pneumonia Wednesday in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.
Styron, 81, won most of the major literary awards of the 20th century, including the Pulitzer Prize for “The Confessions of Nat Turner, the National Book Award for “Sophie’s Choice” and the National Medal of the Arts for his lifetime body of work. He partied with presidents and publishers, signed petitions on political issues and testified in court that he saw Chicago police beat demonstrators during the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
His 1979 novel about the horrific decision forced on a character during the Nazi reign in Poland, “Sophie’s Choice,” was named one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century by the Modern Library editorial board. His 1967 novel, “The Confessions of Nat Turner,” about the leader of a real slave rebellion, sparked controversy among African American critics who said Styron did not understand the experience of slaves. His 1990 memoir of depression, “Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness,” made him a hero to advocates of destigmatizing mental illness and earned him a National Magazine Award.
From the publication of his first novel, “Lie Down in Darkness” (1951), he was considered to be the logical literary successor to fellow Southerner William Faulkner. Styron’s work is characterized by elegant language, characters who grapple with morality and a strong narrative.
Styron’s work habits were regular – he wrote slowly, in pencil, longhand, on yellow legal pads, with few revisions – and his work broke ground in American literature.
“A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted. You should live several lives while reading it,” Styron said, in his most widely quoted remark.
