- Paperback: 174 pages
- Publisher: University Of Iowa Press (Oct 1 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0877458693
- ISBN-13: 978-0877458692
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 14.1 x 1.1 cm
- Shipping Weight: 227 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #836,443 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
The stark landscapes of the desert Southwest form the backdrop for Harty's poignant and intelligent debut collection. Two of the eight stories explore the complicated relationships between brothers: a young football player feels the pull of opposing loyalties when his brother, home from the Marines, kills a rival's dog in "What Can I Tell You About My Brother"; in "Crossroads," a Marine bound for Vietnam and his younger brother go to a Led Zeppelin concert in a debauched outing that might be one of their last, best times. Harty shows a keen interest in characters who are down on their luck, as in "Between Tubac and Tumacacori," in which a heroin addict tempts his former partner to leave his girlfriend and begin dealing again, but suffers a twinge of conscience. The longest story is also one of the most affectingly unusual: in "Don't Call It Christmas," Will, a low-level writing instructor in San Francisco, embarks on a hesitantly tender affair with a tough homeless girl while his mother lies comatose in an Arizona hospital; the girl's gutterpunk boyfriend causes trouble, but when Will's mother wakes, happiness seems briefly possible. "Why the Sky Turns Red When the Sun Goes Down" explores the emotional side of a technologically advanced future, as a couple agonizes over their beloved robotic son, who has begun to experience mechanical breakdowns. No one would call these stories uplifting, or optimistic, but they are all fully realized and elegantly told-and often quietly surprising. Hardy excels at creating a three-dimensional desert suburbia populated by seeking, reaching characters, for whom happiness is always just a bit out of reach.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* The eight stories in this stellar collection are almost unbearably sad. Loneliness and desperation run high in the arid suburban communities of Harty's Arizona. In "Ongchoma," Lynn has lost her passion for Italian literature and spends her evenings drinking tequila poppers and kamikazes. Her closest friend is a gay colleague with a violent boyfriend. The two distract each other with impressively witty comments and find comfort in a game of make-believe, in which he plays her construction worker-husband who takes her to Sedona on the weekends in their pop-up camper, and their life is "simple and good." In "Crossroads," Seth, who is movie-star handsome and has just enlisted in the marines, take his little brother, Wren, to a Led Zeppelin concert. Their whole complicated relationship plays out over the course of the evening as they shot-gun beers and impress each other with wise-ass remarks. Both of them come away from the evening with a renewed sense of possibility that will be completely obliterated in the coming months. Harty displays an incredibly assured sense of storytelling in his first book, grounding his stories in telling details, noble gestures, and a palpable sense of place. His stories will break your heart. Joanne Wilkinson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A gorgeous book,
By deidre simmons (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
Ce commentaire est de: Bring Me Your Saddest Arizona (Paperback)
While I was reading this book, I couldn't wait to get home from work so I could fall back into the stories. Now I'm walking around with the characters in my head, like old friends. It's a beautiful book, the kind you want to recommend to everyone you know. Ryan Harty is a wonderful writer.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Amazing Collection of Stories,
By ron barber (Menlo Park, CA) - See all my reviews
Ce commentaire est de: Bring Me Your Saddest Arizona (Paperback)
This is one of the best story collections I've read in years. Every story is strong, all the characters are incredibly real, and there's an overall sense of sadness that knocks you on(...). Not that the stories are depressing, per se. In fact, they can be hilarious at times, and there's almost always a feeling of hope at the end. I came across "Why the Sky Turns Red When the Sun Goes Down" in BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES 2003,and while I love that story (it's about a family with a robot boy), there are others here that I like even better. "Crossroads" and "September are my favorites. An amazing book. I look forward to whatever Harty writes next.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tapping into the sadness,
By Team coach from TX (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
Ce commentaire est de: Bring Me Your Saddest Arizona (Paperback)
I usually find collections of short stories hard to wade through, but this collection from Ryan Harty was just the opposite. We all have sadness in our lives, be it small or huge. Most of us have learned to laugh an ironic laugh and not talk about it. But Harty sure can write about it. He taps into the sadness in his characters in a way that is unique to my experience, and he does this in a way that made me feel better about my own little sadnesses. His characters are just so "real", they jump off the page fully drawn after just a few paragraphs. And Harty writes with a quiet calmness (the matter of factness of the characters concerning their situations helps you like them) that is marvelous.The book is not perfect, there are small things here and there that show he isn't a seasoned pro, but I wager you won't find a book better at what it is good at this year. Enough gushing. Buy this book if you like good writing.
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