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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Moments of Insight,
By
This review is from: Moments of Light (Hardcover)
For nearly forty years Fred Chappell has been displaying his mastery of various literary forms. Chappell considers himself primarily a poet, but he is also an accomplished novelist as well, and in 1980 he published his first collection of short stories, the present MOMENTS OF LIGHT. It is as masterful as his work in other genres, and there is more than one critic who believes that short fiction is Chappell's true forte.Annie Dillard provides the introduction here, and she sees the stories tied together thematically as an attempt to show man's birth, innocence, and fall from grace. I'm not sure I agree with this interpretation, but I certainly concur with Dillard's estimation that MOMENTS OF LIGHT contains some truly extraordinary writing. Chappell is such a versatile artist. He can write rural comedy and horror and historically based fiction. Among his characters are Joseph Haydn and Benjamin Franklin. In fact the best story here maybe the title tale, in which Haydn discovers the cosmos and gets a glimpse of the eternal prospects of great art. Equally fine is "Blue Dive", with a traditional blues musician bewildered by changing tastes in music, and "Thousand Ways", about desultory souls seeking solace. It is wonderful. All the stories here are wonderful, and the book is well worthy your time and will repay you with delight. |
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Moments of Light by Fred Chappell (Hardcover - Dec. 1980)
Used & New from: $4.90
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