From Powells.com
Our favorite books of the year.
Synopses & Reviews
From one of our most deeply admired storytellers, author of the richly acclaimed Gallatin Canyon, his first collection in nine years.
Set
in Thomas McGuane’s accustomed Big Sky country, with its mesmeric
powers, these stories attest to the generous compass of his fellow
feeling, as well as to his unique way with words and the comic genius
that has inspired comparison with Twain and Gogol. The ties of family
make for uncomfortable binds: A devoted son is horrified to discover his
mother’s antics before she slipped into dementia. A father’s outdoor
skills are no match for an ominous change in the weather. But
complications arise equally in the absence of blood, as when lifelong
friends on a fishing trip finally confront their deep dislike for each
other. Or when a gifted traveling cattle breeder succumbs to the lure of
a stranger’s offer of easy money. McGuane is as witty and large-hearted
as we have ever known him — a jubilant, thunderous confirmation of his
status as a modern master.
Review
“A slyly cutting batch of tales from a contemporary master . . .
Seventeen stories, straightforward but well-crafted, that cement
McGuane’s reputation as the finest short story writer of Big Sky country
. . . The conflicts throughout this book are age-old . . . but
McGuane’s clean writing and psychological acuity enliven them all.” Kirkus (starred review)
Review
“Glum, gleeful, brilliant . . . McGuane’s stories are about the
wacked-out order men and women assign to things, but it’s not the true
order and merely contributes to a larger confusion that is not far from
horror . . . Backdoor irony, you might call it, mixed with black humor.” John Mort, Booklist (starred review)
Review
“McGuane’s Montana retains wistful and ironic echoes of the Old West . .
. with imagery as sparse and striking as the landscape . . . [These]
stories highlight the detachment of young from old, husband from wife,
neighbor from neighbor, the dying from life itself . . . [through] many
funny, sad, and awful, awfully human moments.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Review
“Mysterious and illuminating . . . [McGuane] alternately pounds, kneads,
works and reworks his material, shedding his tears into it and
wrenching away, peeling and scraping it off his hands in a fruitless
attempt to escape; then, wretched but indefatigable, going back to knead
it again. This obsessive labor seems to change the molecular structure
of the substance, from clay to a kind of porcelain . . . [McGuane] has
honed a kind of bluff Western comedy of masculinity [and] turns muck
into art, which takes wing in flights of ingenuity.” Atticus Lish, The New York Times Book Review
Synopsis
From one of our most deeply admired storytellers, author of the richly acclaimed Gallatin Canyon, his first collection in nine years.
Set in Thomas McGuane's accustomed Big Sky country, with its mesmeric powers, these stories attest to the generous compass of his fellow feeling, as well as to his unique way with words and the comic genius that has inspired comparison with Twain and Gogol. The ties of family make for uncomfortable binds: A devoted son is horrified to discover his mother's antics before she slipped into dementia. A father's outdoor skills are no match for an ominous change in the weather. But complications arise equally in the absence of blood, as when lifelong friends on a fishing trip finally confront their deep dislike for each other. Or when a gifted traveling cattle breeder succumbs to the lure of a stranger's offer of easy money. McGuane is as witty and large-hearted as we have ever known him--a jubilant, thunderous confirmation of his status as a modern master.
About the Author
Thomas McGuane lives in McLeod, Montana. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the author of ten novels, three works of nonfiction, and two other collections of stories.
Thomas McGuane’s The Bushwacked Piano, The Cadence of Grass, Driving on the Rim, Gallatin Canyon, Keep the Change, The Longest Silence, Ninety-two in the Shade, Nobody’s Angel, Nothing but Blue Skies, Panama, Some Horses, Something to Be Desired, The Sporting Club, and To Skin a Cat are available in Vintage paperback.