- Paperback: 240 pages
- Publisher: Vintage; Reprint edition (Mar 7 1995)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0679755136
- ISBN-13: 978-0679755135
- Product Dimensions: 13.2 x 1.3 x 20.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 272 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,844,606 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Berger's first novel, originally published in 1964, depicts a turbulent day in the life of a 63-year-old London man.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
By interspersing interior monologs with elaborate accounts of office routine, Berger ( Keeping a Rendezvous , Random, 1992) reveals a day in the life of William Corker, the aging proprietor of a small employment agency in Clapham. Having just fled the house where he had been living with his invalid sister, Corker seeks freedom by moving into rooms above his office and abandoning himself to romantic dreams much like those of J. Alfred Prufrock. In a lecture on the glories of Vienna, Corker gradually speaks what he feels rather than what is expected of him. Soon after this illusory moment of liberation, however, he finds himself penniless and implicated in a criminal conspiracy. Action in Berger's novel is limited, but scrutiny of character is as intense as that found in Proust or Henry James. Minute details are telling and may require patient attention from some readers.
- Albert E. Wilhelm, Tennessee Technological Univ., Cookeville
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
- Albert E. Wilhelm, Tennessee Technological Univ., Cookeville
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very funny, very ironic.,
By Mary Whipple (New England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Corker's Freedom (Paperback)
In the Kirkus Review, the reviewer takes an intellectual approach to this novel, pondering the universal questions the author raises. While I don't disagree with anything s/he writes here (though I wish the reviewer had not spoiled the ending by revealing it in the review!), such a serious appraisal suggests the ponderousness of a Heart of Darkness. This is a very funny book! The inner thoughts of the ever-so-proper, and presumably celibate, Corker as he approaches old age, and the decidedly uncelibate thoughts of 17-year-old Alec reflect every possible intergenerational contrast and conflict for the reader, who cannot help but smile and sympathize while regarding both of them as naïve! The book is not just a lark, however. One also feels the poignancy in the life of a man whose one wish is "I do not want to die as I am, when I die I want to be different, I want to be less ignorant of the consequences of not being good." As Corker makes his break from his domineering sister into his own life, seen most dramatically in his somewhat tipsy travelogue of Vienna, the reader apprehends what Corker actually says, what he knows, and what he would like to say to and about the other characters in the audience, all of whom have affected his life. We can observe him taking chances for the first time and experiencing "the general triumph of having spoken out and been listened to." Simultaneously, however, we are privy to the ironic events that are taking place outside the lecture hall, events over which Corker has no control and which we know will prevent him from ever returning to his previous "life." The epilogue which shows us Corker two years later, reveals Berger's consummate irony: Corker is still speaking out and still living free, though not in the way that either he or we would have predicted.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Sorry but it's very boring,
By A Customer
This review is from: Corker's Freedom (Paperback)
This is not one of Berger's best: in fact it's not far short of the worst thing he's ever written. Almost entirely without humour, this is a dull dog of a book. Only the seriously committed need bother: others perhaps should look to his '60s masterpiece 'A Fortunate Man' or the later 'Into Their Labours' trilogy. But please steer clear of this one.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.3 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews) 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Snatching freedom from the jaws of sacrifice,
By Lynn Harnett - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: CORKER'S FREEDOM: A Novel (Hardcover)
Written thirty years ago and published in the U.S. for the first time in 1994, Berger's novel describes one day in the life of a man, 64 years old, who decides to claim his freedom.As the story opens William Corker has left his invalid sister and decided to move into rooms over his employment office. A bachelor, he sacrificed marriage and all his other potentials to care for, first, his mother, then his sister, crippled with rheumatism. The narrative moves between Corker's plans and reminiscences and his young assistant's observation of the change in his boss and the momentous change in his own life - he has just lost his virginity. Interspersed are paragraphs from the various people who come in seeking employment - a vigorous, middle aged housekeeper Corker fantasizes employing for himself; a young, snooty woman who demonstrates Corker's naivety and optimism while casing the joint for her boyfriend; and an elderly impoverished housekeeper terrified of being put in a home to die. Corker is ebullient, proud of himself and feeling daring. Alec, his assistant, is by turns suspicious and excited. Unable to quite overturn the habits of a lifetime, Corker sacrifices his visions of the blowsy housekeeper and tentatively decides on the elderly one - who's asking less than half normal wages. But he vacillates while Alec fumes with the impatience of youth, helping Corker shove furniture around upstairs and dreaming of his girl while he listens to the old man go on about art and travel. The tone is wistful and ironic with a hint of acid. The story builds to a climax which seems certain to end in disaster, what with an ongoing robbery, the entrance of the querulous sister and the addition of some unaccustomed alcohol. A trifle wordy but a poignant and humorous look at the contrast between sacrificed hopes and youthful incomprehension. 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
"I want to be less ignorant of the consequences of not being good.",
By Mary Whipple - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Corker's Freedom (Paperback)
William Corker, ever-so-proper, and presumably celibate, has spent his life caring for his mother and his domineering sister, and now, at age 64, he has made the break, found his own apartment, and is living, joyfully, on his own, above the employment office where he works. The inner thoughts, memories, and poignant regrets of Corker as he approaches old age, contrast delightfully with the decidedly uncelibate, hormone-induced thoughts of his employee, 17-year-old Alec. Berger illuminates every possible intergenerational contrast and conflict here, evoking great humor and equally great sympathy for Corker and Alec, both of whom the reader recognizes as naïve.Within this delightful and amusing story, however, Berger deals with serious universal themes related to one's life goals and responsibilities, how one wants to be remembered, and how personal freedom is defined. After caring for others for sixty-four years, Berger's only desire is "I do not want to die as I am, when I die I want to be different, I want to be less ignorant of the consequences of not being good." Corker takes an irreversible step into his independent life during a tipsy travelogue of Vienna. It is here that Berger uses language most brilliantly to reveal the many ironies of Corker's life. What Corker actually says, what he knows, and what he would like to say to and about the other characters in the audience, all of whom have affected his life, are combined in this one stunning scene. We can observe him taking chances for the first time and experiencing "the general triumph of having spoken out and been listened to." Simultaneously, however, the reader is privy to ironic events that are taking place outside the lecture hall, events over which Corker has no control and which will force him to continue living his new, "free" life, whether or not he wants to. The epilogue which shows us Corker two years later, reveals Berger's consummate irony: Corker is still speaking out and still living free, though not in the way that either he or we would have predicted. A fine study of a man at the end of his life, the novel showcases Berger's masterful use of irony and brilliant manipulation of language, making this a novel that language lovers will not want to miss. Mary Whipple 3 of 5 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Sorry but it's very boring,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Corker's Freedom (Paperback)
This is not one of Berger's best: in fact it's not far short of the worst thing he's ever written. Almost entirely without humour, this is a dull dog of a book. Only the seriously committed need bother: others perhaps should look to his '60s masterpiece 'A Fortunate Man' or the later 'Into Their Labours' trilogy. But please steer clear of this one.
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