Synopses & Reviews
Ella Leroy dreams of escaping the dreary routine of her 1950s wife-and-mom suburban life in the beach town of Babbington. Without telling her husband, she enlists her son Peter and his locally-notorious schoolmate Patti in a scheme: to buy a run-down clamboat and reinvent it as an elegant cruising vessel for summer people. But after Arcinella is purchased, Peter discovers that she is slowly sinking and so, each night he sneaks from his house to the harborfront of Bolotomy Bay, where he pumps the boat dry and so inflates his mother's hopes for a bit longer.
From these beginnings, the inimitable Eric Kraft has fashioned a novel about everything from kitsch iconography, adolescent lust, and the sadder wisdom of adults, to an explanation of how a bilge pump works, an elegy for lost time, and a stroll along the boardwalk of memory and imagination.
Inflating a Dog offers delightful proof of the genius of an author whose work Newsweek has called "the literary equivalent of Fred Astaire dancing: great art that looks like fun." Funny, sneakily profound, and at moments heartbreaking, this novel is an enchantment.
Review
"Reading the Peter Leroy saga is akin to watching a champion juggler deftly keep dozens of balls in the air while executing an intricate double-time tap dance routine all without breathing hard....Sentimental, loving, raucous, wise, and great fun, this is simply not to be missed." Booklist, starred review
Review
"[A] kaleidoscopic narrative that's a little like a marriage of Marcel Proust and Mark Twain....Glorious stuff. Is there no end to the (obviously autobiographical, irresistibly entertaining) permutations of Peter Leroy? Let's hope not." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
Ella Leroy dreams of escaping the dreary routine of her 1950s wife-and-mom life. Without telling her husband, she enlists her son Peter and his locally notorious girlfriend Patti in a scheme: to buy a run-down clamboat and reinvent it as an elegant cruising vessel for summer people in the beach town of Babbington, Long Island. But after Arcinella is purchased, Peter discovers that it is slowly sinking—and so each night he sneaks from his home to the harborfront, where he pumps the boat dry and so inflates his mothers hopes a bit longer.
Synopsis
“Is there a more beguiling writer today than Eric Kraft?”
Publishers WeeklyElla Leroy dreams of escaping the dreary routine of her 1950s wife-and-mom life. Without telling her husband, she enlists her son Peter and his locally-notorious girlfriend Patti in a scheme: to buy a run-down clamboatand re-invent it as an elegant cruising vessel for summer people in the beach town of Babbington, Long Island.But after the Arcinella is purchased, Peter discovers thatit is slowly sinking. Each night he sneaks from his home to the harborfront of Bolotomy Bay, where he pumps the boat dry, inflating his mothers hopes a bit longer.
Inflating a Dog offers proof of the genius of an author whose work Newsweek has called “the literary equivalent of Fred Astaire dancing: great art that looks like fun.”
About the Author
Eric Kraft's other books include Little Follies, Where Do you Stop?, What a Piece of Work I Am, At Home with the Glynns, and Leaving Small's Hotel, all available in paperback from Picador USA. He and his wife live in New York City.