The Web and the Rock

In The Web and the Rock, the precursor to You Can’t Go Home Again, the first half describes George Webber’s evolution from small-town Southern (U.S.) boy to struggling New York city novelist. The second half is devoted to his tempestuous affair with a married woman. Disenchanted with her social circle and the attendant lifestyle, George retreats to Europe. His idealism is shattered as Hitler rises to power in Germany. Disillusioned, George dreams of returning to the South of his childhood but realizes that “you can’t go home again