Charles Webb to Write Sequel to The Graduate

Posted on June 3, 2006

The Associated Press reports that Charles Webb, the author of The Graduate, has signed a book deal with Random House to write a sequel to the novel. The 1963 novel was made famous by the movie starring Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin Braddock and Anne Bancroft as Mrs. Robinson.

Now, Webb is ready to reveal the characters' fate.

"It was quite a while till I could figure out what they did next," he said.

Home School picks up the lives of Braddock and Elaine about 10 years on, living in upstate New York with their two children and trying to keep Mrs. Robinson at bay.

Random House said it planned to publish the book in Britain in June 2007. It has world rights to the novel, but has not announced a U.S. publication date. Stuart Applebaum, a spokesman for the U.S. division of Random House, said the publisher was still waiting to see material from the new book before making any decisions.

Paul Sidey, editor at Random House's Hutchinson imprint, said the book was "short, sharp and very funny. And there is a last hurrah for the mother-in-law from hell."

We are glad to hear that Webb is taking a crack at the sequel. The 2005 film Rumor Has It attempted to tell what happened after The Graduate but it suffered from plot problems. Webb will know what really happened to his unusual cast of characters.

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