A PRIVATE STATE. Stories. [Hardcover]

Charlotte. Bacon (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: University of Massachusetts, (1998)
• ASIN: B000MYZ5CM
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent combination of E.Annie Proulx and John Cheever, October 21, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Barre, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Private State -Awp (Hardcover)

Like E. Annie Proulx, Charlotte Bacon's writing is fresh and compelling, sprinkled liberally with incandescent imagery. Like Cheever, seemingly small events, like a weekend in the country, a troubling discovery made by a daughter in her father's apartment, or a whale-watching trip, all mark tidal points in the lives of her characters. With nary a false note, this young writer carries us through the lives of men and women facing the end of marriage, the beginning of a pregnancy, the repercussions of the loss of a job on a wealthy family. Such grace and assured prose is rare in young writers, and I'm already waiting for her next. An excellent collection of stories (and prize-winning, too, if you check the book jacket).

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quite strong, February 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Private State -Awp (Hardcover)

All our old elusive friends from English Class -- Psychological Depth, Moral Complexity, Wit (sparkling of course), Astute Observation, Lucidity and Grace -- are evident in these fine tales of women sliding into nuances of awareness they never sought and perhaps wouldn't have welcomed. Reminiscent of Cheever, yes; but also Chekhov and (at their very best) Ann Beattie and Alice Munro. Rather impressive stuff.