''The Dog Star'' is a novel by American writer

Donald Windham Donald Windham (July 2, 1920 – May 31, 2010) was an American novelist and memoirist. He is perhaps best known for his close friendships with Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Windham moved with his then-boyfriend F ...

, 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. Set in 1930s post- Depression

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, the novel's themes include

dysfunctional families A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehavior, and often child neglect or abuse and sometimes even all of the above on the part of individual parents occur continuously and regularly, leading other members to accommodate such ...

traditionalism Traditionalism is the adherence to traditional beliefs or practices. It may also refer to: Religion * Traditional religion, a religion or belief associated with a particular ethnic group * Traditionalism (19th-century Catholicism), a 19th–cen ...

, urban anomie,

homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

, and

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

Plot

In inner-city Atlanta, 15-year-old Blackie Pride is consumed by the memories of Whitey Maddox, his best friend from

reform school A reform school was a penal institution, generally for teenagers mainly operating between 1830 and 1900. In the United Kingdom and its colonies reformatories commonly called reform schools were set up from 1854 onwards for youngsters who were ...

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 Edward Morgan Forster (1 January 1879 – 7 June 1970) was an English author, best known for his novels, particularly ''A Room with a View'' (1908), ''Howards End'' (1910), and ''A Passage to India'' (1924). He also wrote numerous short stori ...

, André Gide, and Albert Camus. German writer Thomas Mann called it the best American novel of the decade.University of Georgia Library
/ref> Despite its critical acclaim, particularly in England, the novel found little success in the United States.

References

1950 American novels Great Depression novels American LGBT novels Novels with gay themes Fiction about suicide Novels by Donald Windham Novels set in Atlanta Doubleday (publisher) books 1950s LGBT novels {{1950s-LGBT-novel-stub