The Drowned Life (P.S.): Ford, Jeffrey: Amazon.com: Books

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The Drowned Life (P.S.) Paperback – Bargain Price, November 4, 2008

by Jeffrey Ford (Author)

32 ratings

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There is a town that brews a strange intoxicant from a rare fruit called the deathberry—and once a year a handful of citizens are selected to drink it. . . .

There is a life lived beneath the water—among rotted buildings and bloated corpses—by those so overburdened by the world's demands that they simply give up and go under. . . .

In this mesmerizing blend of the familiar and the fantastic, multiple award-winning New York Times notable author Jeffrey Ford creates true wonders and infuses the mundane with magic. In tales marked by his distinctive, dark imagery and fluid, exhilarating prose, he conjures up an annual gale that transforms the real into the impossible, invents a strange scribble that secretly unites a significant portion of society, and spins the myriad dreams of a restless astronaut and his alien lover. Bizarre, beautiful, unsettling, and sublime, The Drowned Life showcases the exceptional talents of one of contemporary fiction's most original artists.

Print length

320 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Harper Perennial
Publication date

November 4, 2008
Dimensions

5.31 x 0.72 x 8 inches
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Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5

32 global ratings

5 star		42%
4 star		29%
3 star		14%
2 star		6%
1 star		8%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Jay D. Swartzfeger

Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2009

Verified Purchase

If you've read Ford, then you probably already own this or have it on your wishlist. If you're unfamiliar with Ford's work or speculative fiction in general, then you owe it to yourself to read this collection of surreal yet grounded stories.

Ford has the uncanny ability to take the mundane and weave them into something magical, unreal, beautiful and sometimes terrifying. As another reviewer already mentioned, Ford's writing is BS-free and still manages poetic prose.

The one thing I respect about Ford's work is his range as a writer -- many magic realists, like Jonathan Carroll, craft fantastic tales but many times have a narrow range and style. With Ford, you're never quite sure what kind of rabbit he's going to pull from his hat.

The only slight disappointment was the inclusion of a handful of personal stories/non-fiction pieces. Some were good, others were just 'ok'. I would've preferred the non-fiction pieces be replaced by fiction, but this is a minor nit.

A great short story selection. Also, you may wish to check out Ford's other story collection, The Fantasy Writer's Assistant and Other Stories.

Haunting, Poignant, and Surreal

Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2010

Verified Purchase

Jeffrey Ford is one of my new favorite authors, and The Drowned Life is a perfect introduction into the fantastic world of Jeffrey Ford. Ford has a way of starting you off with some characters you can relate to, and then slowly but surely leading you out into the deep end where life is strange and anything goes.

The title story, The Drowned Life, is the perfect example of Jeffrey Ford's style. You start off with a normal guy trying to keep his family together and his debt under control, and then the next thing you know he's battling a literal rising tide of misfortune. Eventually he is overcome by this rising tide and descends into 'the drowned life' a living world of dead people like him who have been overcome by this terrible tide.

The other stories in the book live up to The Drowned Life, and the entire collection is of a very high quality. Ford is one of the most creative writers I have read recently, and his voice is just tremendous. His prose is very straightforward, but also beautiful and poignant. If you check out The Drowned Life and enjoy it, then start working your way through Jeffrey Ford's catalog, and I'm sure you'll love every step of the way.

fantasy and just personal stories

Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2019

Verified Purchase

One of my favorite authors. This is not just crazy fantasy but also a lot of personal life anecdotes which I have enjoyed

2 people found this helpful

Amazon Does It Again!

Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2014

Verified Purchase

I accidently discovered this book at my local public library, I first read the "p.s.". excerpt for J.F.s book "The Shadow Year",
that was enough to hook me. Then I read the story "The Dismantled Invention of Fate" in this book, and knew for a fact I was now going to be a lifelong fan of Jeffery Ford's work. Buying this on Amazon at an outrageous (affordable) price, in fine condition (formerly a library copy!) was pure joy. . .what a great deal! What a great author! Thanks, I will definitely be back for more.

Great Imagination

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2011

Verified Purchase

If your bored of reading the same old hero saves the day or vampire drama novel and want to open your mind a little Jeffrey Ford does a masterful job at setting you within a world that twist the facets of your mind and gives you multiple meaningful stories that are completely unique in the concept they present. Its a great book of short stories that will keep you engaged all the way through. If you like anything relating to science fiction, this is one of he best amalgamations of unique thought Ive read in one book.

Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2015

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Some stories were excellent. The writing overall was also really good. But how the stories ended often seem abrupt without any real ended and thus less satisfying.

Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2019

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👎

Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2016

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Strange and beautiful.

One person found this helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer

The Drowned Life is a fantastic collection of weird short stories

Reviewed in Canada on July 19, 2017

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The Drowned Life is a fantastic collection of weird short stories. Jeffrey Ford effortlessly blends the weird, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and humour throughout the collection. The Scribble Mind and the title story were particularly good.

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