7.2 /10 1 Votes
Country United States Publication date 1954 Pages 277 Originally published 1954 Page count 277 Publisher Alfred A. Knopf | 3.6/5 Goodreads Language English Media type Print OCLC 285285 Genre Satire Cover artist John Sandford | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Similar Randall Jarrell books, Novels, American poetry books | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pictures from an Institution is a 1954 novel by American poet Randall Jarrell. It is an academic satire, focusing on the oddities of academic life, in particular the interpersonal relationships among the characters and their private lives. The nameless narrator, a Jarrell-like figure who teaches at a women's college called Benton, makes humorous observations about his students and, especially, his fellow academics, in particular the offensively tactless novelist Gertrude, modeled on Mary McCarthy.
Contents
Some believe Benton was modeled after Sarah Lawrence College, where Jarrell taught. However, in an interview with the New York Times, Jarrell stated that "Benton is supposed to be just a type ... I've taken things from real places, but mostly have made them up."
Characters
Awards
Pictures from an Institution was a finalist for the National Book Award.