Charles Webb (author) facts for kids

Charles Richard Webb (born June 9, 1939 – died June 16, 2020) was an American writer. He wrote many novels. His most famous book is The Graduate. This book was published in 1963. Later, it was made into a very popular movie in 1967. The movie had the same name.

Life and Adventures

Charles Webb was born in San Francisco, California. He grew up in a city called Pasadena, California. He went to different schools. He finished his studies at Williams College in 1961.

Charles Webb lived in a town called Hastings-on-Hudson, New York for some years.

Family Life and Unique Choices

In 1962, Charles Webb married Eve Rudd. They later divorced in 1981. This was not because they had problems. They divorced to make a point about marriage itself. But they stayed together as a couple. They got married again in 2001. This was due to rules about living in different countries. They remained together until Eve passed away in 2019.

Eve was an artist. She even drew pictures for Charles Webb's book New Cardiff. She also shaved her head. She called herself "Fred." She did this to support a group in California. This group helped men who felt unsure about themselves.

Charles and Eve had two sons, John and David. David is now an artist too. Once, he famously cooked and ate a copy of his father's book, The Graduate. He even used cranberry sauce! His father was reportedly very happy about this.

Homeschooling and Simple Living

The Webbs decided to teach their children at home. This was called homeschooling. At that time, it was not allowed in California. To avoid trouble, they moved out of the state.

They also made some unusual choices about their money and homes. They gave away four houses they owned. They sold their wedding gifts back to their guests. They chose to live very simply. They took jobs like cleaning, cooking, and picking fruit. They even worked at a store called K-Mart. They lived in a small shack. Later, they lived in Eastbourne, England.

Charles Webb passed away in Eastbourne. He died from a blood condition. This was on June 16, 2020. He was 81 years old.

Living a Simple Life

Charles Webb chose to live a very simple life. He did not care much about owning many things. He lived in a way that was almost like being poor for much of his life.

He turned down money from his father. His father was a rich doctor. Charles Webb sold the rights to make The Graduate into a movie. He only received a small payment of $20,000 one time. He did not get any more money from the movie. This included money from stage plays based on the book.

He once bought a large house with 11 rooms. This was after selling movie rights for another book. But he gave the house away to a nature group. It was called the Audubon Society. He did this after only a few weeks.

Charles Webb also gave the copyright of The Graduate to a group. This group was called the Anti-Defamation League. He and his wife gave away most of their belongings. This included valuable art. They lived in a camper van. They stayed in campgrounds and trailer parks. They worked odd jobs while teaching their children at home.

The Graduate Novel

Charles Webb's first and most famous book was The Graduate. It came out in 1963. The book showed many of the social changes that were happening in the 1960s.

The Famous Movie

The book was made into a very successful movie. It was also called The Graduate. Mike Nichols directed the film. Charles Webb said he did not like the attention the movie brought him. He felt it took away from his work as a serious writer.

Webb sold the movie rights for a one-time payment. It was reported to be $20,000. He was not often involved in the movie's promotion. He also was not very involved as the movie became more famous. The screenwriters, Buck Henry and Calder Willingham, got a lot of credit. But they took most of the talking parts directly from Webb's book.

Because the movie was so successful, the producer offered Webb more money. He gave him an extra $10,000.

A Sequel and Copyright Issues

In 2006, news came out that Webb had written a sequel. It was called Home School. But he did not want to publish the whole book. This was because of a copyright rule. When he sold the movie rights for The Graduate in the 1960s, he also gave up rights for any sequels. If he published Home School, a French company could make it into a movie. They would not need his permission.

Parts of Home School were printed in a newspaper in May 2006. Webb also told the newspaper he might find a publisher. This would happen if he could get back the movie rights. He hoped to do this using French law.

Around this time, Webb and his wife faced money problems. They were having trouble paying their rent. They owed about £1,600. Webb told the newspaper that his writing was going well. But selling his books was not. He spent most of his time caring for his wife, Fred. She was going through a difficult time with her health.

In May 2006, a newspaper reported good news. Webb had signed a deal to publish Home School. This deal would help him pay off most of his debts. It would also help him hire lawyers in France. They would try to get his rights back. In May 2007, another newspaper said the book would be published soon. It also said Webb had moved to Eastbourne.

Home School was published in June 2007.

Other Books and Films

Some of Charles Webb's other books were also made into movies. His novel The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker became a film. His book New Cardiff was made into a movie called Hope Springs.

In 1992, a newspaper reported that Webb was working on a new book. It was called Lies. As of 2021, it is not known if this book was ever finished or published.

List of Novels

• The Graduate (1963)
• Love, Roger (1969)
• The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker (1970)
• Orphans and Other Children (1973)
• The Abolitionist of Clark Gable Place (1976)
• Elsinor (1977)
• Booze (1979)
• New Cardiff (2002)
• Home School (2007)

See also

In Spanish: Charles Webb para niños