Of Time and the River is a 1935 novel by American author Thomas Wolfe. It is a fictionalized autobiography, using the name Eugene Gant for Wolfe's, detailing the protagonist's early and mid-20s, during which time the character attends Harvard University, moves to New York City, where he teaches English at a university, and travels overseas with the character Francis Starwick. Francis Starwick was based on Wolfe's friend, playwright Kenneth Raisbeck. The novel was published by Scribners and edited by Maxwell Perkins. According to Publishers Weekly, it was the third-best selling work of fiction in 1935. No. 1 on The New York Times Fiction best seller list for 3 weeks, from the issue of April 8, 1935. Wiki link