A Patrimony of Fishes: Stories (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"His characters are contemporary, but their struggles are timeless...It's a wonderful collection." -- Ann Beattie

"UFO's, car chases, and elephants...they all turn up...[This is] an irresistable book by a young writer." -- Ed Falco

Product Details

• Paperback: 118 pages
• Publisher: Valentine; 1 edition (August 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1888996048
• ISBN-13: 978-1888996043
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,575,252 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a spicy soup of intelligent American writing, June 23, 1999

By A Customer

"A brilliant first collection of short stories by author Doug Lawson, A Patrimony of Fishes fuses Raymond Carver, Flannery O'Connor and the X-Files into a spicy soup of intelligent American writing. Lawson's prose is both sparkling and patient, pausing to unfold the intricacies of his characters before exploding into a car chase. His themes are basic and mature: hope, lost youth, betrayal. Yet, they bubble up through characters whose obsessions and passions fill the landscape.

"Readers will savor every page, and hope that A Patrimony of Fishes is just the first fresh catch of many to come from this fine writer."

from The Virginia Quarterly Review

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great work!, June 23, 1999

By A Customer

This book was great. I came across it in my local bookstore, and was amazed at the depth and the perceptions within these stories. Anyone interested in original, innovative, non-formulaic (but not post-modern gibberish!) stories about people with hearts should read this book; as an avid reader I'm really surprised this book hasn't gotten more attention. Buy it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good read, June 29, 1999

By A Customer

Enjoyed it--I read the story "After Kimberly" in Glimmer Train Stories, went right out and bought the book. It's a great first collection; a book of rare insight and telling description.