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Gretta
This novel brings to life the story of a beautiful woman who wanted only the love of her husband but was compelled, through her own weakness, to love many men.
- GenresLiteratureFiction
144 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1955
2 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Erskine Caldwell
334 books226 followersErskine Preston Caldwell was an American author. His writings about poverty, racism and social problems in his native South won him critical acclaim, but they also made him controversial among fellow Southerners of the time who felt he was holding the region up to ridicule.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erskine_...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erskine_...
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 7, 2017
“Character Development, Meet Your Master!”
I stumbled upon this book in one of Manhattan’s rare and untrumpeted second-hand book shops one dismally rainy evening about a week ago after making an unsuccessful trip down to Joe’s Pub to see a Brooklyn colleague perform. The show was sold out. And so, I had to make a choice: dinner or the book.
The choice was easy, as I’d already eaten once that day.
Gretta was my third foray into the wilds of Erskine Caldwell’s mind. The first two were God’s Little Acre and Tobacco Road. As I’d never even heard of Gretta, I didn’t know what to expect.
Another brief bit of history here before I get down to an observation or two about Gretta…. I first read God’s Little Acre when I stumbled upon it, too, at the unlikely age of fourteen. It made an impression then, but probably for all of the wrong reasons. And so, I re-read it two summers ago in order to make a newer, more mature assessment.
I’m no literary critic—and any reader of this review should know that (if it’s not already obvious). But not being a literary critic allows me to go out on a limb and make grand pronouncements. My “grand pronouncement” in this case is that Erskine Caldwell is one of the most unsung writers in the canon of Western Literature.
I started Gretta late yesterday afternoon; I finished it in one sitting. Yes, it’s that good.
Erskine Caldwell was, in his time, a controversial character. He snubbed the literary establishment, and they snubbed him in return. God’s Little Acre, at the very least, was initially banned because of its content. This, of course, made the book immediately desirable. We can assume that Erskine Caldwell did not, at the very least, fall prey to penury.
That I know of, there’s no other character in American literature that I can liken to the character from whom this book takes its title. W. Somerset Maugham’s Mildred (in Of Human Bondage ) bears some resemblance. But Maugham’s book is less about the female protagonist than it is about the male protagonist (Philip Carey). Moreover, Mildred is in all respects unlikable, while Gretta is very much the contrary.
If a single incident in a girl’s youth can be said to determine her lifelong fate—and I believe it can—the incident and the girl in question are yours for the reading. Your challenge is simply to find a copy of this book. Your challenge—if character development is at all important to you as a reader or as a writer—is to find and read all of Erskine Caldwell’s books. For my money, no one does it (i.e., character development) better.
RRB
12/13/12
Brooklyn, NY
I stumbled upon this book in one of Manhattan’s rare and untrumpeted second-hand book shops one dismally rainy evening about a week ago after making an unsuccessful trip down to Joe’s Pub to see a Brooklyn colleague perform. The show was sold out. And so, I had to make a choice: dinner or the book.
The choice was easy, as I’d already eaten once that day.
Gretta was my third foray into the wilds of Erskine Caldwell’s mind. The first two were God’s Little Acre and Tobacco Road. As I’d never even heard of Gretta, I didn’t know what to expect.
Another brief bit of history here before I get down to an observation or two about Gretta…. I first read God’s Little Acre when I stumbled upon it, too, at the unlikely age of fourteen. It made an impression then, but probably for all of the wrong reasons. And so, I re-read it two summers ago in order to make a newer, more mature assessment.
I’m no literary critic—and any reader of this review should know that (if it’s not already obvious). But not being a literary critic allows me to go out on a limb and make grand pronouncements. My “grand pronouncement” in this case is that Erskine Caldwell is one of the most unsung writers in the canon of Western Literature.
I started Gretta late yesterday afternoon; I finished it in one sitting. Yes, it’s that good.
Erskine Caldwell was, in his time, a controversial character. He snubbed the literary establishment, and they snubbed him in return. God’s Little Acre, at the very least, was initially banned because of its content. This, of course, made the book immediately desirable. We can assume that Erskine Caldwell did not, at the very least, fall prey to penury.
That I know of, there’s no other character in American literature that I can liken to the character from whom this book takes its title. W. Somerset Maugham’s Mildred (in Of Human Bondage ) bears some resemblance. But Maugham’s book is less about the female protagonist than it is about the male protagonist (Philip Carey). Moreover, Mildred is in all respects unlikable, while Gretta is very much the contrary.
If a single incident in a girl’s youth can be said to determine her lifelong fate—and I believe it can—the incident and the girl in question are yours for the reading. Your challenge is simply to find a copy of this book. Your challenge—if character development is at all important to you as a reader or as a writer—is to find and read all of Erskine Caldwell’s books. For my money, no one does it (i.e., character development) better.
RRB
12/13/12
Brooklyn, NY
September 9, 2025
Un altro personaggio di Caldwell che rimane indelebilmente nell'anima: la storia di una donna in cerca di un riscatto che non potrà mai avverarsi, una donna schiacciata dal peso di un antico errore, eppure animata da una volontà perseverante.
April 4, 2016
I have read a lot of Caldwells books. It is definitely noticeable his change in writing style compared to his books like Tobacco Road and Journeyman. He still has a running theme of sex though. A great conceptual idea to write a short book in a very specific period of time over a couple of months.
October 16, 2023
This writing was so good, it was flowing throughout the entire book while still making the emotions very clear. The story made my gut twist and it had me wishing on a better emotional understanding from her and also understanding the freedom of a woman. Even though I say that I dont want anyone or any approval, I still cant live without the human connections, even if I crave my freedom more. She was the exact opposite of me, she wanted nothing more than that but still couldn't live without her freedom. Just a simple short story and so much to think about.
March 30, 2011
At first I thought this was simply a General Hospitalesque melodrama. It is actually a pretty bleak portrait of the effects of childhood sexual abuse as well as prostitution in the 1950’s.
On a lighter note... what the heck is a dermatophyte patient? I looked it up: Jock Itch, Fungal Nail Infections, Ring Worm. It's nice to learn something new even from a pulp.
I have to say, Erskine Caldwell has a unique, if strange, style.
On a lighter note... what the heck is a dermatophyte patient? I looked it up: Jock Itch, Fungal Nail Infections, Ring Worm. It's nice to learn something new even from a pulp.
I have to say, Erskine Caldwell has a unique, if strange, style.
October 23, 2016
قرأت رواية جريتا منذ زمن يزيد عن الخمس سنوات
رواية جميلة انسانسية مبدعة تتعمق فى احداث النفس البشرية وخطوبها وتصور ردود افعال غير متوقعة من أناس مرضى نفسيين
الرواية تحمل بعد نفسى اكثر من رائع تم وصفه بدقة مثالية وبابداع لا متناهى
جميلة وأنصح بقرائتها كاملة
رواية جميلة انسانسية مبدعة تتعمق فى احداث النفس البشرية وخطوبها وتصور ردود افعال غير متوقعة من أناس مرضى نفسيين
الرواية تحمل بعد نفسى اكثر من رائع تم وصفه بدقة مثالية وبابداع لا متناهى
جميلة وأنصح بقرائتها كاملة
August 26, 2022
A young woman named Gretta lives with her loneliness. She hopes to find someone to share love with and most importantly, achieve happiness together. She manages to be happy, but the fear of losing this happiness takes over...
April 13, 2013
Surprisingly psychologically complex for a pulp read.
September 23, 2023
"Tal como se estivesse a olhar para um álbum de fotografias, via com nitidez cenas da sua vida com Glenn. (...) Não havia mais ninguém naquelas fotografias... nenhuma outra recordação para lembrar... Não havia uma fila de homens silenciosos sentados nos bancos de um bar, nem desconhecidos que consideravam o seu corpo como um recipiente para a paixão deles, não havia mais noites de solidão e angústia devastadora... Porque tinha ela perdido a única coisa que mais desejava no mundo?".
A história é perturbadora, angustiante, fazendo-nos sentir o desiquilíbrio de Gretta, o seu distúrbio, a sua solidão. Consequência da sua infância, da perda dos pais ou da sua própria natureza?
Mesmo sendo feliz, não conseguiu evitar sofrer pela perda a que estava destinada e não conseguiu evitar deitar tudo a perder...
A história é perturbadora, angustiante, fazendo-nos sentir o desiquilíbrio de Gretta, o seu distúrbio, a sua solidão. Consequência da sua infância, da perda dos pais ou da sua própria natureza?
Mesmo sendo feliz, não conseguiu evitar sofrer pela perda a que estava destinada e não conseguiu evitar deitar tudo a perder...
December 18, 2025
The story of Gretta follows follows a young girl whose sexual behaviour develops into prostitution. She marries a doctor but can't change her ways. She doesn't do it for the miserly amounts she's given as a reward for her services. She does it supposedly for company to eliminate her loneliness but there's certainly more to it than that. This is yet another very readable tale from Caldwell. There are several nerve- shredding moments in this book.
June 15, 2024
No pude parar de leer desde el momento en que lo empecé. En cada línea sonaba Little Girl Blue de Janis. Leer a Caldwell es como deleitarte mirando a un hombre arreglar algo que va mal en el tejado. En este libro, concretamente, consigue enfrascarte en una trágica situación con holgadas descripciones.
Al final, no podría faltar el profético epitafio masculino:
C’est la faute de la fatalité!
Al final, no podría faltar el profético epitafio masculino:
C’est la faute de la fatalité!
March 10, 2022
Pretty silly book.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews