New and Noteworthy Paperbacks
By Scott Veale
[
A review of Norwood, by Charles Portis,
Transcribed by Alex T. Moore from The New York Times (January 18, 2000), 
for non-commercial use on The Unofficial Charles Portis Website 
(http://charlesportis.cjb.net).
]

The author's first novel follows the picaresque adventures of Norwood 
Pratt, a good-hearted ex-marine and folk singer whose cross-country 
odyssey takes him through the bowling alleys, roller dromes, chili 
parlors and bus stations of 1960's America. In 1966 our reviewer, 
Martin Levin, called this a "delightfully original" tale imbued with 
"the magic of a fable."