Charles Mergendahl

Charles Mergendahl (* 1919 in Massachusetts , † 1959 in New York ) was an American writer.

The son of a teacher, Mergendahl began studying literature and education at the University of Boston after successfully completing his schooling . The entry of the United States into the Second World War was a reason for Mergendahl to interrupt his studies in order to join the US Navy .

After the war, Mergendahl left the army as an officer and completed his studies in Boston ; but never worked in this profession. Even before the war , he wrote as a freelancer for various radio and TV stations. Until his death in 1959 - he died of the consequences of an accident - Mergendahl lived as a freelance writer in New York.

reception

Mergendahl achieved his greatest success with his novel "Everyone pays for his debt". This was discussed very controversially when it was published. a. compared to "The People of Peyton Place" by Grace Metalious (1924–1964). This novel Mergendahls was filmed in 1960 by Daniel Petrie and was as successful as the filming of Peyton Place by Mark Robson . In 1968 RG Springsteen brought Mergendahl's novel "Tiger by the tail" to cinemas under the same title.

Works (selection)

• Call after six . Dell, London 1966
• The drums of April . Muller Books, London 1964
• The girl cage . Fawcett, Greenwich, Conn. 1959
• His days are as grass . Little, Brown. Boston, Mass. 1946
• The Japanese dagger. Roman ("Tiger by the tail"). Lichtenberg Verlag, Munich 1963
• Everyone pays for their debt. Novel ("The Bramble Bush"). Ullstein, Frankfurt / M. 1992, ISBN 3-548-22768-6
• Love and a year. Roman ("The spring of love"). Lichtenberg Verlag, Munich 1965
• The lonely ones . New English Library, London 1965
• The next best thing. Novel . Panther Books, London 1969
• The patterns of sin . New English Library, London 1968
• Rage of desire . Dell, New York 1958 (former title: With kisses four )
• Tonight is forever. Stories . Popular Library, New York 1941
• 22 Terrace Place . New English Library, London 1964

literature

• David Seed: A companion to 20th century US fiction . Wiley-Blackwell, Malden, Mass. 2009, ISBN 978-1-405-14691-3 .