Gaddis, William, 1922-98, American novelist, b. New York City. An erudite master of satire and black comedy, he was both praised and criticized for his avant-garde techniques—repetitions, multiple layers of meaning, sprawling shapelessness, frequent digressions, complexities of plot and language that can veer into incomprehensibility, and the exhausting length of his works. Gaddis wrote five novels, the second and fourth of which won the National Book Award. Epic in size, his first novel, The Recognitions (1955), examines falseness and the loss of authenticity in its story of a master forger. The next four novels are written almost completely without narration in a series of dialogues and a multiplicity of voices. JR (1975) concerns elaborate corporate shenanigans, Carpenter's Gothic (1985) explores ramifications of the Vietnam War, A Frolic of His Own (1994) skewers the litigious modern world, and the posthumously published Agapé Agape (2002) records the reflections of a dying writer obsessed with player pianos and, by extension, the nature of art. Gaddis's shorter prose is collected in The Rush for Second Place (2002).

(born Dec. 29, 1922, New York, N.Y., U.S.—died Dec. 16, 1998, East Hampton, N.Y.) U.S. novelist. He attended Harvard University and later wrote speeches and screenplays. His long experimental novels are characterized by complex and allusive plotting and language and a dark (if often humorous) view of contemporary American society. His first, The Recognitions (1955), a multileveled examination of spiritual bankruptcy, was only belatedly recognized as a masterpiece. Discouraged by its reception, he published nothing more until JR (1975, National Book Award), which depicts greed, hypocrisy, and banality in business. His later novels are Carpenter's Gothic (1985) and A Frolic of His Own (1994, National Book Award).

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The Gaddis are a tribe from north-western India.

Gaddis may also refer to:

• C. J. Gaddis (b. 1985), footballer
• Christian Gaddis (b, 1984), footballer
• John Lewis Gaddis (b. 1939), historian of the Cold War and grand strategy
• Miranda Gaddis, American crime victim
• Thomas E. Gaddis (1908–1984), American author
• Vincent Gaddis, American author
• William Gaddis (1922-1998), American novelist

See also

• Gaddis Smith