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{{Short description|1950 novel by Donald Windham}}{{for|the 2012 novel by Peter Heller|The Dog Stars}}{{more citations needed|date=September 2018}}{{italic title}}File:The Dog Star Novel.jpg|thumb|First edition (publ. Doubleday)]]The Dog Star is a novel by American writer Donald Windham, first published in 1950. It tells the story of a young Southern man who is haunted by the suicide of his best friend from reform school.NEWS, William, Grimes, Donald Windham, Novelist and Memoirist, Dies at 89,weblink The New York Times, 4 June 2010, 28 September 2018, Set in 1930s post-Depression Atlanta, the novel's themes include dysfunctional families, traditionalism, urban anomie, homosexuality, and suicide.WEB, Chad, Driscoll, The Dog Star, by Donald Windham,weblink Oyster Boy Review, 28 September 2018,

Plot

In inner-city Atlanta, 15-year-old Blackie Pride is consumed by the memories of Whitey Maddox, his best friend from reform school who has recently killed himself. Despite their names, both boys are white and endured a period of homoerotic intimacy during their time at school together that may have encouraged Whitey's fatal actions. With Whitey dead, Blackie roams the streets of his poor neighborhood contemplating the feelings of worthlessness and disappointment he attributes to his family and remaining friends. With the realization of inevitable hardships overwhelming him, and the idealization of apathy plaguing any potential motivation for a better life, Blackie commits suicide.

Reception

The novel was well received by Windham's contemporaries, including authors E.M. Forster, André Gide, and Albert Camus. German writer Thomas Mann called it the best American novel of the decade.University of Georgia Library Despite its critical acclaim, particularly in England, the novel found little success in the United States.

References

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