"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.
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Editorial Reviews
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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
John Hawkes is an extraordinary writer. I have always admired his books. They should be more widely read. -- Saul Bellow
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.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More than skin deep,
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,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
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).
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
I will tell you in a few words who I am: lover of the hummingbird that darts to the flower beyond the rotted sill where my feet are propped; lover of bright needlepoint and the bright stitching fingers of humorless old ladies bent to their sweet and infamous designs; lover of parasols made from the same puffy stuff as a young girl's underdrawers; still lover of that small naval boat which somehow survived the distressing years of my life between her decks or in her pilothouse; and also lover of poor dear black Sonny, my mess boy, fellow victim and confidant, and of my wife and child. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
canary yellow slacks, white lifeboat, black brassiere, calabash tree, john hawkes, shore patrol Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Papa Cue Ball, Catalina Kate, Sister Josie, Peter Poor, Captain Red, Big Bertha, Uncle Billy, Dog's Head, Old Grand-Dad, Sweet Phyllis, Second Avenue, Crooked Finger Rock, Plantation House, City Hall, Good God, Mah Jongg, Miss Cassandra, New Testament, South Carolina New!
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Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
I will tell you in a few words who I am: lover of the hummingbird that darts to the flower beyond the rotted sill where my feet are propped; lover of bright needlepoint and the bright stitching fingers of humorless old ladies bent to their sweet and infamous designs; lover of parasols made from the same puffy stuff as a young girl's underdrawers; still lover of that small naval boat which somehow survived the distressing years of my life between her decks or in her pilothouse; and also lover of poor dear black Sonny, my mess boy, fellow victim and confidant, and of my wife and child. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
canary yellow slacks, white lifeboat, black brassiere, calabash tree, john hawkes, shore patrol Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Papa Cue Ball, Catalina Kate, Sister Josie, Peter Poor, Captain Red, Big Bertha, Uncle Billy, Dog's Head, Old Grand-Dad, Sweet Phyllis, Second Avenue, Crooked Finger Rock, Plantation House, City Hall, Good God, Mah Jongg, Miss Cassandra, New Testament, South Carolina New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
30
books
cite this book:
See all 30 books citing this book
- Innocence, Power, and the Novels of John Hawkes (Penn Studies in Contemporary American Fiction) by Rita Ferrari on 21 pages
- Blaise Cendrars Ecrivain Proteiforme.(Collection Monographique Rodopi en Litterature Francaise Contemporaine 22) (Collection Monograhique Rodopi En Litterature Francaise ; 22) by Georgiana M. M. Colvile on 10 pages
- In the Driver's Seat: The Automobile in American Literature and Popular Culture (Contributions in American Studies) by Cynthia Golomb Dettelbach on 6 pages
- Beyond Suspicion: New American Fiction Since 1960 (Penn Studies in Contemporary American Fiction) by Marc Chenetier on 4 pages
- The Modern American Novel: New Revised Edition by Malcolm Bradbury on page 204, page 211, and Back Matter
See all 30 books citing this book
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