SECOND GENERATION

by Raymond Williams

In this challenging novel, where striking workers march among dreaming spires, the worlds of industry and learning collide as the Owen family are caught in a web of of politics and sex, loyalty and independence, English lives and Welsh memories . Harold Owen and his brother Gwyn carved out a place for themselves when they came to work in a car factory in a university city – but the calm of their lives is threatened when Harold’s wife Kate makes a bid for independence, while a clash of values in work, politics and love confront their son Peter. How can the second generation, facing the start of the turbulent 1960s – create a future which will not destroy their past?

Genres: British Literature, Historical Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Raymond Henry Williams was a Welsh academic, novelist, and critic. He taught for many years and the Professor of Drama at the University of Cambridge. He was an influential figure within the New Left and in wider culture. His writings on politics, culture, the mass media and literature are a significant contribution to the Marxist critique of culture and the arts. His work laid the foundations for the field of cultural studies and the cultural materialist approach. Among his many books are Culture and Society, Culture and Materialism, Politics and Letters, Problems in Materialism and Culture, and several novels.

Reviews

[Reg Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful wide ranging book, covering lots of ideas through it's telling. Characters bound together by family, class, location etc being pulled apart by forces of power, relationships, 'progress' etc. Although set in the early 1960's, the issues are easily to relate to, making the story feel much more topical.

The book is the second of a trilogy, I am looking forward to the third!