Born in Cleveland, Prescott graduated from Williams College in 1930. He began his career as a researcher for Newsweek, then known as News-Week, and became the literary editor of Cue Magazine before joining the Times, where he wrote three or four book reviews every week from 1942 through 1966. More than any other reviewer, he influenced sales of books across the country, and was held in high esteem. His reviews showed a preference for traditional novels with strong narratives and clear characterizations.
In 1958 he reviewed Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov and described it as "dull, dull, dull in a pretentious, florid and archly fatuous fashion."[1] In 1961, Gore Vidal wrote a scathing portrait of Prescott as a reviewer.[2] Vidal later wrote that Prescott was so offended by his depiction of a homosexual love affair in The City and the Pillar that he refused to review his work or allow the Times to review it.[3]
Prescott edited three anthologies about history and after his retirement wrote two books about the Italian Renaissance.[4]
Worksedit
In My Opinion: An Inquiry into the Contemporary Novel (1952)
The Five Dollar Gold Piece: The Development of a Point of View (1956)
Robin Hood: The Outlaw of Sherwood Forest, illustrated by Charles Beck (1959) – children's picture book, LCCN 59-6144
Undying Past (1961)
A Father Reads to His Children: An Anthology of Prose and Poetry (1965)
Princes of the Renaissance: A Chronicle of the Private Lives and Public Careers of the Kings, Dukes, Popes and Despots Who Ruled Italy in the Fifteenth Century (1969)
History as Literature (1971)
Lords of Italy: Portraits from the Middle Ages (1972)
Mid-Century: An Anthology of Distinguished Contemporary American Short Stories (1973)
orville, prescott, september, 1906, cleveland, ohio, april, 1996, canaan, connecticut, main, book, reviewer, york, times, years, born, cleveland, prescott, graduated, from, williams, college, 1930, began, career, researcher, newsweek, then, known, news, week, . Orville Prescott September 8 1906 Cleveland Ohio April 28 1996 New Canaan Connecticut was the main book reviewer for The New York Times for 24 years Born in Cleveland Prescott graduated from Williams College in 1930 He began his career as a researcher for Newsweek then known as News Week and became the literary editor of Cue Magazine before joining the Times where he wrote three or four book reviews every week from 1942 through 1966 More than any other reviewer he influenced sales of books across the country and was held in high esteem His reviews showed a preference for traditional novels with strong narratives and clear characterizations In 1958 he reviewed Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov and described it as dull dull dull in a pretentious florid and archly fatuous fashion 1 In 1961 Gore Vidal wrote a scathing portrait of Prescott as a reviewer 2 Vidal later wrote that Prescott was so offended by his depiction of a homosexual love affair in The City and the Pillar that he refused to review his work or allow the Times to review it 3 Prescott edited three anthologies about history and after his retirement wrote two books about the Italian Renaissance 4 Works editIn My Opinion An Inquiry into the Contemporary Novel 1952 The Five Dollar Gold Piece The Development of a Point of View 1956 Robin Hood The Outlaw of Sherwood Forest illustrated by Charles Beck 1959 children s picture book LCCN 59 6144 Undying Past 1961 A Father Reads to His Children An Anthology of Prose and Poetry 1965 Princes of the Renaissance A Chronicle of the Private Lives and Public Careers of the Kings Dukes Popes and Despots Who Ruled Italy in the Fifteenth Century 1969 History as Literature 1971 Lords of Italy Portraits from the Middle Ages 1972 Mid Century An Anthology of Distinguished Contemporary American Short Stories 1973 References edit Books of the Times The New York Times Retrieved 3 December 2018 Esquire com Gore Vidal Comment July 1961 accessed July 12 2011 Gore Vidal Introduction to Death in the Fifth Position in Edgar Box Death in the Fifth Position Vintage 2011 3 4 The New York Times Mel Gussow Orville Prescott Times Book Critic for 24 Years Dies at 89 April 30 1996 accessed July 12 2011External links editOrville Prescott at Library of Congress with 10 library catalog records Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Orville Prescott amp oldid 1176893272, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
