Second Skin [Paperback]

John Hawkes (Author)

Book Description

"John Hawkes is an extraordinary writer. I have always admired his books. They should be more widely read."—Saul Bellow

Skipper, an ex-World War II naval Lieutenant and the narrator of Second Skin, interweaves past and present—what he refers to as his "naked history"—in a series of episodes that tell the story of a volatile life marked by pitiful losses, as well as a more elusive, overwhelming, joy. The past: the suicides of his father, wife and daughter, the murder of his son-in-law, a brutal rape, and subsequent mutiny at sea. The present: caring for his granddaughter on a "northern" island where he works as an artificial inseminator of cows, and attempts to reclaim the innocence with which he faced the tragedies of his earlier life. Combining unflinching descriptions of suffering with his sense of beauty, Hawkes is a master of nimble and sensuous prose who makes the awful and mundane fantastic, and occasionally makes the fantastic surreal.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the first, John Hawkes's prose has sounded what Henry James would have said was 'the right note.' -- William H. Gass

John Hawkes is an extraordinary writer. I have always admired his books. They should be more widely read. -- Saul Bellow --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

John Hawkes (1925–1998) was one of the most innovative and widely regarded novelists of the twentieth century. Born in Stamford, Connecticut, and educated at Harvard University, Hawkes taught at Brown University for thirty years. Praised by Leslie Fiedler, Flannery O’Connor, and William H. Gass, who wrote, “when it comes to the engravement of the sentence . . . no one can match him,” Hawkes was the author of numerous acclaimed novels, including The Lime Twig, The Beetle Leg, Second Skin, Adventures in the Alaskan Skin Trade and The Passion Artist. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Signet
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 045102768X
• ISBN-13: 978-0451027689
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More than skin deep, April 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Second Skin (Paperback)

Second Skin is a lyrical, difficult but ultimately rewarding novel. It focuses on Skipper, the narrator, who simply tries to survive a series of life tragedies ranging from being the victim of a mutiny to losing his wife and daughter to suicide.

To say these things is not to give away the plot. Because Skipper does not tell his story in a linear fashion, we know what will happen from the beginning. The pleasure is in listening to the narrative voice tell his "naked history" (as Skipper calls it).

John Hawkes is an under-appreciated writer and a brilliant prose stylists. For anyone who loves to read beautiful sentences, this book is highly recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A difficult but beautiful read, August 14, 2008

By 

jacque "jacquebz" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Second Skin (Paperback)

As with most things in life I know entirely rely on Amazon to tell me what I like, and what I will read next. Once again I was not let down.

This was a book I had to put down and come back to many times. It is written almost like poetry the pours from that saddest places in every person's spirit. John Hawkes is a brilliant and deep writer. My only complaint is that he isn't necessarily captivating. I struggled in the beginning to find my footing in the endless lamenting. Eventually I was tempted to shelf the book indefinitely but one day I found myself woven into the tapestry of this world, and desiring to know more.

I recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind "working for it" (if you know what i mean).