The Graduate (novel)

The Graduate

First edition cover
Author	Charles Webb
Language	English
Publisher	New American Library (U.S.) Constable (U.K.)
Publication date	1963
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print
ISBN	0743456459
Followed by	Home School

The Graduate is a 1963 novella by Charles Webb, who wrote it shortly after graduating from Williams College. It tells the story of Benjamin Braddock, who, while pondering his future after his graduation, has an affair with the older Mrs. Robinson, the wife of his father's business partner, before falling in love with their daughter, Elaine.

The novella was adapted into the highly successful 1967 film The Graduate, directed by Mike Nichols, with Dustin Hoffman in the title role and Anne Bancroft as Mrs. Robinson. Webb has stated he never felt comfortable with the attention the film brought him because he felt it distracted from his status as a serious artist. He did not receive any royalties from the film and has stated he is glad it happened that way.^[1]

On the episode of the AMC television series Movies That Shook the World devoted to the film adaptation, Webb revealed the identity of the real-life inspiration for Mrs. Robinson: Jane Ericson (exact spelling unknown), the wife of an associate of Webb's father. However, that was the extent of any similarity with the novel; Webb denied having a relationship with her.

A sequel titled Home School, which takes place ten years after the ending of the first novel, was published by Hutchinson in June 2007.