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Interviews | January 24, 2012

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Ben MarcusBen Marcus's books The Age of Wire and String and Notable American Women were considered "experimental" fiction because of his unconventional use of... Continue »
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    The Flame Alphabet

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The Spectator Bird (Contemporary American Fiction)

by Wallace Stegner

The Spectator Bird (Contemporary American Fiction) Cover

ISBN13: 9780140139402
ISBN10: 0140139400
Condition: Standard
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Joe Allston is a retired literary agent who is, in his own words, "just killing time until time gets around to killing me." His parents and his only son are long dead, leaving him with neither ancestors nor descendants, tradition nor ties. His job, trafficking the talent of others, had not been his choice. He passes through life as a spectator.

A postcard from a friend causes Allston to return to the journals of a trip he had taken years before, a journey to his mother's birthplace, where he'd sought a link with the past. The memories of that trip, both grotesque and poignant, move through layers of time and meaning, and reveal that Joe Allston isn't quite spectator enough.

"Elegant and entertaining . . . Every scene [is] adroitly staged and each effect precisely acomplished." —The Atlantic

Synopsis:

Joe Allston is a retired literary agent whose parents and only son are dead, and who feels that he has been a mere spectator through life. Than a postcard from a friend causes him to return to the journals of a trip he took to his mother's birthplace to search for his roots; memories of that journey reveal tha t he is not quite spectator enough. Winner of the National Book Award.

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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 2 comments:
Judith Holt, January 1, 2010 (view all comments by Judith Holt)
Stegner speaks to those of us who are "beyond Boomer" age in this novel. It was difficult to quit quoting to my like age friends - I've recommended this book repeatedly.
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malaprop, March 4, 2009 (view all comments by malaprop)
Another apt portrayal of the intricacies of marriage from Stegner. Not as perfect as Crossing to Safety, but, really, what is?
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780140139402
Author:
Stegner, Wallace Earle
Publisher:
Penguin Books
Author:
Stegner, Wallace Earle
Location:
New York, N.Y., U.S.A. :
Subject:
General
Subject:
California
Subject:
Fiction
Subject:
Marriage
Subject:
Married people
Subject:
Americans
Subject:
Denmark
Subject:
Western stories
Subject:
Domestic fiction
Subject:
Americans -- Travel -- Denmark -- Fiction.
Subject:
Literary
Subject:
Literature-A to Z
Copyright:
1976
Edition Description:
Trade Paper
Series:
Contemporary American Fiction
Series Volume:
no. 44
Publication Date:
19901131
Binding:
TRADE PAPER
Grade Level:
from 12
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Yes
Pages:
224
Dimensions:
7.76x5.04x.64 in. .43 lbs.
Age Level:
from 18
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The Spectator Bird (Contemporary American Fiction) Used Trade Paper
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Product details 224 pages Penguin Books - English 9780140139402 Reviews:
"Synopsis" by , Joe Allston is a retired literary agent whose parents and only son are dead, and who feels that he has been a mere spectator through life. Than a postcard from a friend causes him to return to the journals of a trip he took to his mother's birthplace to search for his roots; memories of that journey reveal tha t he is not quite spectator enough. Winner of the National Book Award.

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