In electrifying prose and with a rare generosity of feeling, this dramatic and piercing debut novel tells the story of the fractured lives of three generations of one Southern family. "Magnificent . . . brims with characters who seem truer than life."--Kaye Gibbons.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
This promising first novel by the curator of William Faulkner's home seems to pick up where the Nobel winner left off-by spanning three generations of a Southern family, from 1931 to the present. We are introduced to young Harrison Dorrance as he makes his way through the confusion of adolescence with the help of his eccentric uncle, who advises him above all to be flexible, because "the earth curves." Though accurate, this maxim is of little help when WWII begins and the once-charming boy grows into an embittered man. As the years pass, other narrative voices replace Harrison's, and a darker side of the protagonist is revealed through the words of the wife he abuses; later, he is seen through the eyes of his mistress, his son and, ultimately, his granddaughter. Shearer continually and gracefully manages to juxtapose the mundane, the lethal and the lyrical; the title comes from an encyclopedia that Harrison buys for his son, to help him "dream his boy's dream of dirigibles and zeppelins." By such contrasts, the fresh and engagingly poetic story takes shape as a complex web of contradictions that is a pleasure to unravel. 17,500 first printing; author tour.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Powerful and risk-taking in both content and structure, this first novel tries to make sense of the human condition, particularly the dance between the sexes. At its center is Harrison Durrance, whose three-generational family story is told by a different person in each chapter--Durrance, his wives, children, grandchild, and sister-in-law--with gapping and overlapping chronologies and all dialogue in italics. Once the reader is past minor confusion at the start, the technique works wonderfully well, giving a Rashomon-like view of Durrance and his relationships. Born poor in a large family in Alapaha, Georgia, in 1915, he fell under the spell of his radio engineer uncle, Artie, became a World War II flying ace, and saw his career as a full colonel end ignominiously at 41. Along the way he drank heavily, beat his wife, and terrorized his children. The characters' admirable behavior is duly expressed, but at the forefront of the narrative are their fears and anger, probed by the author to the point of painfulness. This thought-provoking fiction leaves the reader almost stunned; a potential book-club favorite, it belongs in all fiction collections. Michele Leber
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
an astonishing novel,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Wonder Book of the Air (Paperback)
"The Wonder Book of the Air" is one of the finest novels I've ever read. With so many diverse characters, each with his or her own distinctive persepctive on the world, the novel has a remarkable breadth and depth. Shearer is a masterful stylist; beyond that, however, she possesses real wisdom and a Keatsian negative capability.
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A book that begs to be read aloud.,
This review is from: The Wonder Book of the Air (Paperback)
Cynthia Shearer does a masterful job of weaving together the stories and perceptions of three generations of the Durrance family, friends and relatives. The narrative voice switches from chapter to chapter, but each voice is so distinct and so well-drawn, that the reader will have no difficulty with the changing voices.This is an outstanding book, one I have read twice and look forward to reading again.
5.0 out of 5 stars
simply delightful,
This review is from: The Wonder Book of the Air (Paperback)
I have not read a book as good as this for quite a long while. While Shearer's craft is exquisite and the way she interweaves the stories together is amazing, it is essential to bear in mind that the book's intention is not to tell you _A_ story, but rather, allow you to participate as a family friend by directly showing you their thoughts. And that is what makes the book delightful. Like a box of chocolates, it is best consumed one at a time, and you needn't start in any particular odrder. As much as all the stories come together to make up one whole, they are, in their own part, lovely tales on their own.
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