Customer Reviews

French Quarter Fiction: The Newest Stories of America's Oldest Bohemia

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This fiction collection is a jam session of impressions and emotions with the rhythm and mystique of the French Quarter as the background. The established authors, Ford, Gilchrist, Tennessee Williams, et.al., stories are predictably wonderful, but most interesting are the new writers, notably Jason Wiese's "The Dive", with his fresh perspective on the uniquely "light/dark" aspects of the Quarter.

Tenessee Williams' previously unpublished piece, a thing of incomparable beauty, is the most harrowing autobiographical account I have ever read of him, providing unparalleled insight to his soul. Ellen Gilchrist's piece is joyful as an angel's whisper. This collection is one one to be savored time and again.

The array of writing styles, perspectives, insights, and entertainment make this book an absolute treasure. As an outsider looking into the ghostly history of the Crescent City, research for my book could take me only so far. Joshua Clark gathered up so much that is mystical, ethereal, and nearly transparent that would otherwise escape the notice of those of us who have limited time in New Orleans. In the aftermath of Katrina, this book becomes a greater treasure, enlivening the fadding echoes of the old neighborhoods, bars, back streets, and the lives of people we would otherwise never encounter.

Reading this book is like savoring a box of very expensive chocolates. Each story is its own wonderous delight. Much like a Whitman's Sampler, there is something here for everyone. Up and coming writers like John Verlenden and Joe Longo more than hold their own alongside the great ones...and, no doubt, will join them one day soon. A perfect bedside companion...timeless and compelling.

As an expatriate Quarterite of beau coup years duration, living there from 1964 through 1985, I found this delightful compilation to be a bit like taking a stroll through the old neighborhood. The characters spring to life fully formed in their unforgetable settings, recreating a palpable experience of all the yats and dawlins who make life in the Crescent City almost tolerable...

I've never even been to New Orleans and yet love this
anthology. These are astounding stories, plain and
simple. And will leave you with a better sense of that
famous neighborhood than if you'd spent every Mardi
Gras there for the last 20 years.

I wish I knew the better stories here. Some of them are pretty boring. Most are good to excellent. I guess on a one to ten it would be a five.

I ordered this book for my husband and he liked it so much, I started reading it. Before I was even finished, I ordered 2 more copies for Christmas presents.