My Hard Bargain: Stories [Paperback]

Walter Kirn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1992

My Hard Bargain was hailed as "an impressive debut" by The Wall Street Journal, and "substantial and down to earth" by the New Yorker. The exalted, memorable characters in Kirn's acclaimed debut short story col lection confront the real hard bargains in life that spring up from the business of simply living, and Kirn transforms these hard-luck stories into strapping moral lessons which evoke the bonds that unite us all.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Thirteen short stories set in the American heartland mark a disarming fiction debut for journalist Kirn.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 145 pages
• Publisher: Washington Square Pr (November 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671793799
• ISBN-13: 978-0671793791
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #895,483 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

WALTER KIRN is a contributing editor to Time magazine, where he was nominated for a National Magazine Award in his first year, and a regular reviewer for the New York Times Book Review. His work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, the New York Times Book Review, GQ, Vogue, New York and Esquire. He is the author of four previous works of fiction: My Hard Bargain: Stories, She Needed Me, Thumbsucker, and Up in the Air. He lives in Livingston, Montana.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Addictive, October 26, 2002

By 

"strangeobsessions" (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Hard Bargain: Stories (Paperback)

I got this book because I loved Kirn's first several chapters of "Up In The Air". I wanted to see if he invented the style of Up In The Air specifically for Up In The Air, or if he always used the same style. Answer: The style of Up In The Air was unique.

But about My Hard Bargain . . . I really liked the stories in this book. Even though a couple of the stories left me going, "Huh?" others were great. And all were a pleasure to read.

I especially liked "Planetarium," about a basketball coach who tries to cure his team's sins of masturbation by having each kid chart how frequently he engages in the activity; "The Orphan," about a young man who's getting a little too close to his best friend's parents; and "A Satisfying Ride In The Country," about a guy who's a little too obsessed with his I.Q.

Kirn really seems to be able to capture subtle psychological moments and motivations.

Two things I wish: 1) that the book didn't end, and 2) that I knew WHICH of the stories had been published in Esquire, The Quarterly, and Story.

I guess the only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because of the Huh? factor in a couple of the stories. But, really, I would recommend this book to anyone.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars YOU MUST READ THESE STORIES - A great book! EXCELLENT!, April 9, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Hard Bargain: Stories (Paperback)

A collection of perfectly written, evocative and humorous short stories. They are all great. Especially the one about the little kid protecting his family with his dad's gun. And the one about the petting zoo (which wins an award from me for the description of the smell of pesticide by an accidentally poisoned farmer: "chocolate hairspray.") What more could you ask for? This book is a find. I can't recommend it highly enough (nor can I remember how to spell reccomend). You will not be disappointed. Funny - smart - beautiful - great. Get this book. Then email me and we can talk about how great it is!