Babylon Revisited
Critique • Quotes
First edition collection, 1935First publication
1931 in The Saturday Evening Post magazine
First book publication
1935 in Taps at Reveille collection
Literature form
Story
Genres
Literary
Writing language
English
Author's country
United States
Length
Approx. 8,000 words
Notable lines
"And where's Mr. Campbell?" Charlie asked."Gone to Switzerland.
"Mr. Campbell's a pretty sick man, Mr. Wales."
— First lines
He was not really disappointed to find Paris was so empty. But the stillness in the Ritz bar was strange and portentous. It was not an American bar any more—he felt polite in it, and not as if he owned it. It had gone back into France.
"I spoiled this city for myself. I didn't realize it, but the days came along one after another, and then two years were gone, and everything was gone, and I was gone."
Family quarrels are bitter things. They don't go according to any rules. They are not like aches or wounds; they are more like splits in the skin that won't heal because there is not enough material.
"I heard that you lost a lot in the crash."
"I did," and he added grimly, "but I lost everything I wanted in the boom."
He would come back some day; they couldn't make him pay forever. But he wanted his child, and nothing was much good now, beside that fact. He wasn't young any more, with a lot of nice thoughts and dreams to have by himself. He was absolutely sure Helen wouldn't have wanted him to be so alone.
— Last lines
Critique • Quotes
See also:
The Garden Party and Other Stories
See also:
Buy the book:
Babylon Revisited and Other Stories
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