Problems with People
Stories
Published on 14. August 2014
Book
Hardback
176 pages
978-1-4088-5996-4 (ISBN)
Description
A new couple's first night together is overshadowed by a decades-old story of a lost love. A man takes a two hour walk across Kathmandu to visit his estranged wife in hospital in midst of a Maoist strike. A man accompanies his Holocaust survivor father on a trip to his German city of birth. A newly diagnosed dementia patient misses his last opportunity to see his youngest son. A family is forced to sit through a dinner-time account of the death of their teenage son as their food turns cold on the table. And an unexpected and tender friendship develops between an ailing man and his dog walker.
In Problems with People relationships solidify, crumble and are forged anew. These ten sharply observed stories are imbued with David Guterson's signature gifts for characterisation, psychological nuance, emotional suspense and evocation of the natural world. By turns funny, thought provoking and deeply moving, Guterson deftly taps into the sadness, beauty, joy and complexities of our everyday lives.
In Problems with People relationships solidify, crumble and are forged anew. These ten sharply observed stories are imbued with David Guterson's signature gifts for characterisation, psychological nuance, emotional suspense and evocation of the natural world. By turns funny, thought provoking and deeply moving, Guterson deftly taps into the sadness, beauty, joy and complexities of our everyday lives.
Reviews / Votes
Guterson writes beautiful, persuasive prose, harking back to Hemingway, with a glimmer of wit that brings a modern sensibility * <i><b>Daily Telegraph</i></b> * Guterson has made a highly significant contribution to American literature * <i><b>Guardian</i></b> * Guterson's books keep getting better * <i><b>New York Times</b></i> * This collection's wry charm is to show that real communication is still possible, quite often unexpected and, when it happens, redemptive ... Refreshingly untricksy in style, every story winded me with its precise and unsentimental observation of human isolation, sometimes transcended by the kindness of strangers, more often beyond reach ... Timeless and moving, these are smart stories indeed * <b><i>Country Life</b></i> * Guterson is a master of mood and character, nailing with impressive depth, in just a few pages, psychological landscapes, personal histories and their wider contexts. These powerful, accomplished stories, where no word is wasted, have a shimmering quality and are compelling to read **** * <b><i>Lady</b></i> * There is much to admire * <b><i>The Times</b></i> * Guterson's stories are like Raymond Carver's relocated to the north-west ... Packs a considerable emotional punch ... Powerful and deeply moving * <b><i>Jewish Chronicle</b></i> * What's striking about David Guterson's excellent new collection of short stories is the consistent brilliance of the set-ups ... Each of the ten stories fascinates in a different way, and the main problem is trying to resist devouring these crisply written morsels in one delirious binge * <b><i>Daily Mail</b></i> *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 135 mm
Weight
301 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4088-5996-4 (9781408859964)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
06/2014
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
€8.49
Available for download
Person
David Guterson is the bestselling author of the novels Snow Falling on Cedars, East of the Mountains, Our Lady of the Forest, The Other and Ed King; a collection of short stories, The Country Ahead of Us, The Country Behind; a non-fiction book Family Matters: Why Home Schooling Makes Sense; a memoir Descent: A Memoir of Madness and a collection of poetry Songs for a Summons. Snow Falling on Cedars won the PEN/ Faulkner Award and was made into a major film starring Ethan Hawke. David Guterson lives in Washington State.