   wise blood is the first novel by american author flannery o'connor, published in 1952. the novel was assembled from several disparate stories first published in mademoiselle, sewanee review, and partisan review. the first chapter is an expanded version of her master's thesis, "the train," and other chapters are reworked versions of "the peeler," "the heart of the park," and "enoch and the gorilla." the novel concerns a returning world war ii veteran who, haunted by a lifelong crisis of faith, resolves to form an anti-religious ministry in an eccentric southern town. the novel received little critical attention when it first appeared, but has since come to be appreciated as a somewhat unique work of "low comedy and high seriousness" with enduring if disturbing religious themes.enotes: wise blood study guide: introduction online. accessed: august 21, 2011.park, mary. wise blood editorial review amazon.com. online. accessed: august 21, 2011. it was placed 62nd in the guardian's list of 100 greatest novels of all time.  ==plot summary== recently discharged from service in world war ii and surviving on a government pension for unspecified war wounds, hazel motes returns to his family home in tennessee to find it abandoned. leaving behind a note claiming a chifforobe as his private property, motes boards a train for taulkinham. the grandson of a traveling preacher, motes grew up struggling with doubts regarding salvation and original sin; following his experiences at war, motes has become an avowed atheist, and intends to spread a gospel of antireligion. despite his aversion to all trappings of christianity, he constantly contemplates theological issues and finds himself compelled to purchase a suit and hat that cause others t
1952_novels 20th-century_American_novels Modernist_novels Novels_by_Flannery_O\'Connor Roman_Catholic_novels Southern_Gothic_novels