Homer and Langley

About “Homer and Langley”

Homer and Langley Collyer are brothers who live as recluses in their once-grand Fifth Avenue mansion. Homer is blind and deeply intuitive, while Langley, damaged by mustard gas during the Great War, is either mad or great. They scavenge the city for items they believe they need and hoard newspapers for Langley's project—a dateless newspaper meant to act as prophecy. Despite their desire to isolate themselves, the major events of the 20th century unfold around them. Their lives intersect with immigrants, prostitutes, society women, government agents, gangsters, and jazz musicians. The novel explores their struggle to find meaning in their cluttered home, set against the backdrop of historical events. It is a fictionalized account of the real Collyer brothers, presented as a family story with mythic resonance.