Product Description

The seven stories collected here–including “Killings,” the basis for Todd Field’s award-winning film In the Bedroom–showcase legendary writer Andre Dubus’s sheer narrative mastery in a book of quietly staggering emotional power.

A father in mourning contemplates the unthinkable as the only way to allay his grief. A boy must learn to care for his younger brother when their mother leaves the family. A young woman who has never lacked lovers despairs of ever finding love itself, and then makes an accidental discovery that brings her real joy. Culled from Dubus’s treasured collections Selected Stories and Dancing After Hours, these beautiful stories of people at pivotal moments in their lives are some of the most bewitching and profound in American fiction.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #330394 in Books
• Published on: 2002-02-26
• Released on: 2002-01-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Review
?Dubus is the sort of writer who instructs the heart.? ?The Atlantic Monthy

?It is a rare thing to admire an artist from a distance and upon meeting him not be disillusioned. After meeting Andre my admiration for his courage, talent, and humanity grew tenfold. . . . If you have never read him, get ready?you will never be the same again.? ?Todd Field, from the Preface

?The lives of his characters become part of any close reader?s permanent bank of important memories.? ?The Boston Globe

?Like Chekhov?s, Dubus?s best stories contain the arc of a whole life in the language of specific moments.? ?The Village Voice -- Review

Review
“Dubus is the sort of writer who instructs the heart.” –The Atlantic Monthy

“It is a rare thing to admire an artist from a distance and upon meeting him not be disillusioned. After meeting Andre my admiration for his courage, talent, and humanity grew tenfold. . . . If you have never read him, get ready–you will never be the same again.” –Todd Field, from the Preface

“The lives of his characters become part of any close reader’s permanent bank of important memories.” –The Boston Globe

“Like Chekhov’s, Dubus’s best stories contain the arc of a whole life in the language of specific moments.” –The Village Voice

From the Inside Flap
The seven stories collected here?including ?Killings,? the basis for Todd Field?s award-winning film In the Bedroom?showcase legendary writer Andre Dubus?s sheer narrative mastery in a book of quietly staggering emotional power.

A father in mourning contemplates the unthinkable as the only way to allay his grief. A boy must learn to care for his younger brother when their mother leaves the family. A young woman who has never lacked lovers despairs of ever finding love itself, and then makes an accidental discovery that brings her real joy. Culled from Dubus?s treasured collections Selected Stories and Dancing After Hours, these beautiful stories of people at pivotal moments in their lives are some of the most bewitching and profound in American fiction.

Customer Reviews

Bewitching
Usually I shy away from short story collections, but a friend whose opinion I value highly recommended this book by the well-respected author, Andre Dubus. She was right. These 7 stories are masterful, displaying the quiet power within the decisions we make as we live through life's seemingly small moments. The award-winning movie titled In the Bedroom with Cissie Spacek was made from one of these stories.
A bewitching and profound collection that should be on every serious reader's bookshelf.

The best of Dubus's work
My first reaction to the title of the collection was one of skepticism. After all, the story the movie IN THE BEDROOM is based on is the short story KILLINGS. I feared this was a hastily put-together collection designed to cash in on the film's success. I was wrong. The stories collected here are the some of the finest Dubus wrote. It is a perfect introduction to the new Dubus reader. If the reader enjoys this collection of seven stories, they will progress naturally to the SELECTED STORIES collection;then on to his non-fiction. It is a journey well worth taking. The established Dubus reader might enjoy the new book of tributes titled ANDRE DUBUS: TRIBUTES. It is available on Amazon. Contributors include Tobias Wolff, James Lee Burke, Andre Dubus 111, Frederick Busch, and many other fine writers.

Captivating and poignant stories that capture the human soul
Andre Dubus, better known for his full length novel 'House Of Sand And Fog' is a talented writer with the ability to capture the human condition. Even if you did not care for 'House Of Sand And Fog', you should not let it stop you from picking up this thin but sumptuous collection of shorts.

These seven stories will leave you immersed in a sea of emotion: love, regret, loss, hatred, hopelessness, bitterness, and beauty. Even in the worst of moments, Dubus has a knack for capturing the beauty of passion and sentiment.

1 - Killings
2 - The Winter Father
3 - Rose
4 - The Fat Girl
5 - Delivering
6 - A Father's Story
7 - All The Time In The World

My favorites were 'Killings', 'Rose', 'The Fat Girl', and 'A Father's Story'. The other stories were a bit dry or vague, but the four mentioned are as rich as chocolate cheesecake served with a mocha and whipped cream.

'Killings' is primarily a story of a father's loss, losing a son to a do-nothing killer who is set free on bail to continue his life as the father grieves. 'Rose' is a tale of a beaten-down woman's ultimate sacrifice for her children. 'The Fat Girl' tells of the difficulties of change, and of how we are always who we are in our hearts. 'A Father's Story' revisits parental sacrifice, but this time in the form of an ordinary, loving father.

I believe this collection deserves more attention than it has been given. The good stories are truly well-written, beautiful pieces. 'In The Bedroom' is a collection that, no matter your genre of preference, you will be glad that you took the time to read. Enjoy!