Harmony of the World: Stories [Paperback]

Charles Baxter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 11, 1997

In these ten stories, Charles Baxter shows his genius in making his characters' everyday sufferings--and occasional fragile joys--seem utterly unprecedented, even as he reminds us, gently and with a sly comic twist, that everything they feel is only the collateral damage of being human. Whether he is writing about the players in a rickety bisexual love triangle or a woman visiting her husband in a nursing home, probing the psychic mainspring of a grimly obsessive weight lifter or sifting through the layers of resentment, need, and pity in a friendship that has gone on a few decades too long, Baxter enchants us with the elegant balance of his prose and the unexpectedness of his insights. Long admired and now once more available in paperback, Harmony of the World is a masterpiece of lucidity and compassion.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

In these ten stories, Charles Baxter shows his genius in making his characters' everyday sufferings--and occasional fragile joys--seem utterly unprecedented, even as he reminds us, gently and with a sly comic twist, that everything they feel is only the collateral damage of being human. Whether he is writing about the players in a rickety bisexual love triangle or a woman visiting her husband in a nursing home, probing the psychic mainspring of a grimly obsessive weight lifter or sifting through the layers of resentment, need, and pity in a friendship that has gone on a few decades too long, Baxter enchants us with the elegant balance of his prose and the unexpectedness of his insights. Long admired and now once more available in paperback, Harmony of the World is a masterpiece of lucidity and compassion.

About the Author

Charles Baxter lives in Minneapolis and teaches at the University of Minnesota. He is the author of seven other works of fiction, including Believers, Harmony of the World, and Through the Safety Net. The Feast of Love was a finalist for the National Book Award.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Vintage (March 11, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679776516
• ISBN-13: 978-0679776512
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.4 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #676,555 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars with a little disharmony as well, April 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Harmony of the World: Stories (Paperback)

Originally published in 1984, this collection features Baxter's least middle-class, most internally-troubled characters. They are senile, depressed, chronically lonely. The finale, "The Crank" is a gorgeous study of plot. The recently divorced protagonist's interactions with a similarly lonely guru are magical and uplifting. Baxter went on to mature considerably in terms of craft, but these stories are emotionally generous and smart.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Poignant Fiction, July 6, 2005

By 

Paul M. Mallory (MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Harmony of the World: Stories (Paperback)

Please don't take the fact that I gave this only three stars to mean that this book isn't very good. I gave it three stars because I am comparing it to other works by Charles Baxter.

This collection of short stories highlights the human condition, for better or for worse. What is true about Baxter's fiction is that he makes characters interesting, especially those characters who, if they were real people, I would have nothing to do with in reality. That is a good thing.

One story, "The Crank", acts as if it doesn't belong in this collection, but in another collection of Baxter's called "A Relative Stranger." In "The Crank", a loner meets a crank caller and discovers something about himself along the way. The protagonists in these stories range from lost college students to elderly persons who seem just as lost. The title story reminds us that we share the same griefs and joys that everyone else does.

Overall, this collection is worth a read, especially if you love short stories, or if you want to learn how short stories are crafted.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another winner from Baxter, July 21, 2000

By 

Voice of Chunk (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harmony of the World: Stories (Paperback)

Sifting through "Harmony of the World" is like panning for gold. Each page is an exercise in patience and endurance, but when you happen upon a nugget of Baxter's comical insight or warm compassion, you know you've struck it rich. Baxter does a wonderful job of balancing intelligence, humor, and believable characters. The title story alone is worth the price.