Synopses & Reviews
The masterfully crafted stories that comprise
Remote Feed mark the auspicious debut of a daring and remarkably perceptive writer. From war-torn Bosnia to a college sorority house to kill-or-be-killed Hollywood, David Gilbert uses bold prose and dark wit to paint a devastating picture of "normal" life on the brink of desperation and paranoia. His insights into the minor tragedies, disappointments, and desires that shape us reflect a deep understanding of human nature and a genuine compassion for his characters.
Filled with startling twists, piercing irony, and layers of meaning, the world Gilbert creates in Remote Feed is a complex one -- often hilarious, sometimes frightening, but always fascinating.
Review
Kirkus Reviews An intelligent Darwinian debut collection...[the] writing [has] zest.
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Adam Goodheart The New York Times Book Review Gilbert's dead-on mimicry of conversational rhythms makes even the most ludicrous exchange sound plausible, and he applies physical details sparingly and potently...wickedly funny.
Review
Adam Goodheart
The New York Times Book Review
Gilbert's dead-on mimicry of conversational rhythms makes even the most ludicrous exchange sound plausible, and he applies physical details sparingly and potently...wickedly funny.
Review
Vanity Fair Hilarious and unnerving.
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Michelle Goldberg Salon Scathing writing can be exhilarating.
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Donna Seaman Booklist The action in Gilbert's fast, witty, unnerving stories is dark and edgy to be sure, but his prose gleams, a beacon in the fog of our numb days and nights.
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Gina Vivinetto St Petersburg Times (Florida) If you read one short-story collection all year, promise me it will be Gilbert's....He's just about the funniest social commentator since Fran Lebowitz....To call Gilbert insightful is an understatement.
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Christine DeZelar-Tiedman Library Journal Recommended for literary collections.
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Sara Nelson Glamour The short stories in David Gilbert's Remote Feed speak volumes about the ways modern men seek adventure and comfort.
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Mike Musgrove The Washington Post These stories are funny and thoroughly entertaining....Keep an eye on this guy David Gilbert.
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Time Out One is mesmerized by Gilbert's daring and absolute persuasiveness....[A] distinctive voice.
Synopsis
Moving with ease from American suburbs to war-torn Bosnia to the Galapagos Islands, David Gilbert brings to life a cast of slightly off-center characters, all struggling with the challenges of everyday life.
A petty con-man mined janitor reads Adam Bede to a blind woman in "Graffiti, " and as the two weave in and out of literature into their own damaged pasts, they begin to pierce the darkness that engulfs them. In the wildly funny "Anaconda Wrap, " a movie executive, fleeing to Montana after his film flops, re-creates a distinctly modern version of the pioneer dream. "Remote Feed" and "Still in Motion, " both set in the Galapagos, bring into sharp relief the contrast between human desire and the natural world.
About the Author
David Gilbert is the author of the novels & Sons and The Normals. His stories have appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, GQ, Bomb, the Mississippi Review, and New Stories from the South, Best of 1996. He lives in New York with his wife and three children.
Table of Contents
ContentsCOOL MOSS
REMOTE FEED
ANACONDA WRAP
GIRL WITH LARGE FOOT JUMPING ROPE
GRAFFITI
OPENING DAY
DON'T GO IN THE BASEMENT!
CPR
AT THE DÉJÀ VU
STILL IN MOTION