''Independence Day'' is a 1995 novel by

Richard Ford Richard Ford (born February 16, 1944) is an American novelist and short story writer. His best-known works are the novel ''The Sportswriter'' and its sequels, ''Independence Day'', ''The Lay of the Land'' and ''Let Me Be Frank With You'', and the ...

and the sequel to Ford's 1986 novel '' The Sportswriter''. This novel is the second in what is now a four-part series, the first being '' The Sportswriter''. It was followed by ''

The Lay of the Land ''The Lay of the Land'' is a 2006 novel by American author Richard Ford. The novel is the third in what is now a four-part series, preceded by the novels '' The Sportswriter'' (1986) and '' Independence Day'' (1995); and followed by ''Let Me Be ...

'' (2006) and '' Let Me Be Frank With You'' (2014). ''Independence Day'' won the Pulitzer Prize and

PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction The PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction is awarded annually by the PEN/Faulkner Foundation to the authors of the year's best works of fiction by living American citizens. The winner receives US$15,000 and each of four runners-up receives US$5000. Fi ...

in 1996, becoming the first novel ever to win both awards in a single year.

Plot summary

The novel follows Frank Bascombe, a

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

real estate agent (and ex-sportswriter), through the titular holiday weekend as he visits his ex-wife, his troubled son, his current lover, the tenants of one of his properties, and some clients of his who have been having trouble finding the perfect house. It focuses in particular on a car trip with his son to the Basketball and Baseball Halls of Fame. Similar in form and common themes to John Updike's ''Rabbit'' novels, ''Independence Day'' is a pastoral meditation on a man reaching middle age and assessing his place in life and the greater world.

Critical reception

''Independence Day'' won the Pulitzer Prize and

in 1996, becoming the first novel ever to win both awards in a single year. The book was well-reviewed, with

Michiko Kakutani Michiko Kakutani (born January 9, 1955) is an American writer and retired literary critic, best known for reviewing books for ''The New York Times'' from 1983 to 2017. In that role, she won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 1998. Early life ...

writing in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' that "Mr. Ford has galvanized his reputation as one of his generation's most eloquent voices." Barbara Ehrenreich of ''

The New Republic ''The New Republic'' is an American magazine of commentary on politics, contemporary culture, and the arts. Founded in 1914 by several leaders of the progressive movement, it attempted to find a balance between "a liberalism centered in hu ...

'' wrote "for dead-on dialogue and a perfect rendering of small-town and suburban distractedness, writing doesn’t get much better than this." Conversely, a 1995 book review by '' Kirkus Reviews'' summarized the book as "humorless and full of sham insight ("We're all free agents"), though fans of the first installment will not be disappointed." The review also found the central character, Bascombe, to be "part angry white male, and part new sensitive guy, but mostly just a smug fool, who lingers over every detail of his life with Harold Brodkey-style obsession."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Independence Day (Novel) 1995 American novels Novels by Richard Ford Pulitzer Prize for Fiction-winning works Novels set in New Jersey Alfred A. Knopf books PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction-winning works Independence Day (United States) novels