Castaway

An unspecified catastrophe has overtaken New York. Mr. Lecky, the sole survivor, finds himself in a great department store which has also escaped destruction. Here is everything a human being might need, not only to support existence but to afford luxury and comfort. But not quite everything. As the story unfolds with frightening rapidity, it becomes clear that Mr. Cozzens has constructed a modern parable of the tale of Robinson Crusoe, one with powerful implication—philosophical, psychological, mystical—for the survival of modern man. "Whatever the conclusion at which the reader arrives, what is beyond doubt is that the book is an interesting and distinguished piece of work."—London Times Literary Supplement. "Mr. Cozzens is no mean artist in prose, and he has original ideas. He works also with admirable economy of mean, and with realistic detail that rivets the imagination."—Saturday Review. "No one who has ever read a novel of his has forgotten it."—Bernard De Voto.