The Other
Will be published approx. on 6. July 2009
Book
Paperback/Softback
272 pages
978-0-7475-9620-2 (ISBN)
Description
Seattle, 1972: Neil Countryman and John William Barry, two teenage boys from very different backgrounds, are at the start of an 800m race. Their lives collide for the first time, and so begins an extraordinary friendship. As they grow older Neil follows the conventional route of the American dream, but the eccentric, fiercely intelligent John William makes radically different choices, dropping out of college and moving deep into the woods. Convinced it is the only way to live without hypocrisy, John William enlists Neil to help him disappear completely, drawing his oldest friend into a web of secrets and agonising responsibility, deceit and tragedy - one that will finally break open with an unexpected, life-altering revelation.
Reviews / Votes
'Remarkable a highly significant contribution to American literature' Giles Foden, author of The Last King of Scotland 'Guterson's books keep getting better A moving portrait of male friendship' New York Times 'A fine novel [of] gentle, intelligent sadness' Independent 'A powerfully wrought mixture of a coming-of-age novel, a meditation on the environment, a satire on American mores Guterson writes beautiful, persuasive prose, harking back to Hemingway, with a glimmer of wit that brings a modern sensibility' Daily TelegraphMore details
Other editions
Person
David Guterson is the author of the novels Snow Falling on Cedars, East of the Mountains and Our Lady of the Forest; a collection of short stories, The Country Ahead Of Us, The Country Behind, and of the non-fiction book Family Matters: Why Home Schooling Makes Sense. Snow Falling on Cedars won the PEN/ Faulkner Award. David Guterson lives in Washington State.