Items related to Fools' Gold
Synopsis
A diverse cast of characters, ranging from an American girl to a Japanese prospector, come together during the Alaskan Gold Rush of the 1890s and make various vital discoveries
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Reviews
Wiley's second novel (following his PEN/Faulkner Award-winning Soldiers in Hiding ) is a subdued, reflective portrait of the adventurers and fortune-seekers who journeyed to the barely settled town of Nome, Alaska, in 1899, hoping to ride the crest of a gold rush. What many found instead was a harsh Arctic climate that offered little in the way of sustenance, let alone wealth. Coming from worlds as distant and different as America, Ireland and Japan, the explorers had to learn to trust one another's cultural rituals and those of the indigenous Eskimo population. The author interweaves several stories as they unfold over the course of a year. Some of them are straight and vivid: an old Japanese man keeps himself company through the long freeze by recounting the entire history of his country; a young woman opens the town's first bathhouse, later using it as a political base; a preacher holds his flock by creating Bible stories with such characters as Andrew the Suicidal. For the most part, however, the characters here remain dusty tintypes that never come to life, and their plights and aspirations are dramatized only from a distance.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Gold-rush Nome, Alaska, is a sea of miners' tents washing across the tundra: not exactly what protagonist Finn and two young female companions had anticipated. Yet after a year, the forces of love, politics, business, and gold have reshaped the newcomers in unexpected ways. As they adapt, each discovers previously unrealized reserves of strength and understanding. Wiley's second novel is uneven, at times crackling with excitement, at others as tedious as an Alaskan winter. (His first novel was 1987 Pen/Faulkner winner Soldiers in Hiding .) He is best when dealing with a small ensemble, as when he brings together Irishman Finn, Japanese prospector Kaneda, and Eskimo Phil in an isolated mining camp. But for the disappointing bulk, Wiley mines the played-out cliches of frontier fiction, producing nary a nugget. Paul E. Hutchison, Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Fool's Gold
Published by
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1988
ISBN 10: 0394568656
ISBN 13: 9780394568652
Used
Hardcover
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # 39697300-6
Quantity: 1 available
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Fools' Gold
Published by
Knopf, New York, 1988
ISBN 10: 0394568656
ISBN 13: 9780394568652
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: Hastings of Coral Springs, Altamonte Springs, FL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. The edges of the text block are heavily foxed. pencil marks have been erased from the FFEP. The text is clean and unmarked. There is sticker residue on the rear of the jacket. The edges are lightly worn. 1.26 lb. Seller Inventory # 16953
Quantity: 1 available
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Fools' Gold
Seller: Wonder Book, Frederick, MD, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Good condition. Good dust jacket. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains. Seller Inventory # M06B-04882
Quantity: 1 available
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Fools' Gold
Seller: Ravin Books, Yankton, SD, U.S.A.
Seller rating 2 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Used - Good. Slight wear. May have minor sticker residue or marks or writing. Our service is second to no other seller because we use easy to remove inventory tags and try to ship every day so your book arrives quicker! As a small independent book store in the Midwest we thank you for the support. Satisfaction guaranteed in all transactions. Let us know what we can do to help! Seller Inventory # 13114
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Fools' Gold
Published by
Alfred A. Knopf, 1988
ISBN 10: 0394568656
ISBN 13: 9780394568652
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: Callaghan Books South, New Port Richey, FL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Fair. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Fine. First Edition. Sturdy book, purple cloth spine, pink boards with very bright gilt initials and line design at top front, very bright gilt lettering on spine, spine lightly slanted, ink owner's note at top of first front end paper, ink date near spine on title page "Nov. 2002." DJ glossy and colorfully designed with color-illustration of mining camp scene, pale brown on spine and back, on pale yellow center back praise from Michael Herr, Jonathan Yardley in Washington Post and others. On pages top exterior edge, owner's red stamp, a black felt-tip pen crossout and red ink line. Very Fine DJ/Fair book. Seller Inventory # 48989
Quantity: 1 available
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Fools' Gold
Seller: Jay W. Nelson, Bookseller, IOBA, Austin, MN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: As New. Dust Jacket Condition: As New. 1st Edition. 1st Edition F/F. Hardcover. Seller Inventory # 374
Quantity: 3 available
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Fools' Gold
Seller: Wonder Book, Frederick, MD, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. First edition copy. . Very Good dust jacket. In protective mylar cover. (Gold Mines, Mining, Eskimos, Alaska). Seller Inventory # NC01B-00864
Quantity: 1 available
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Fools' Gold (First Edition)
Published by
Knopf, New York, 1988
ISBN 10: 0394568656
ISBN 13: 9780394568652
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: Dan Pope Books, West Hartford, CT, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. First edition, First printing. A fine copy in a fine jacket. A clean, tight, unread copy with price ($18.95) intact on front flap. Wiley won the PEN/Faulkner Award for "Soldiers in Hiding." F-800. Seller Inventory # FLAHIVE-861
Quantity: 1 available
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Fools' Gold
Published by
Alfred a Knopf Inc, Westminister, Maryland, U.S.A., 1988
ISBN 10: 0394568656
ISBN 13: 9780394568652
New
Hardcover
Seller: Nilbog Books, Portland, ME, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: New. Dust Jacket Condition: New. First Edition (1st printing). This is a New and Unread copy of the first edition (1st printing). NOT a remainder copy. Seller Inventory # 025757
Quantity: 1 available
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Fools' Gold.
Published by
Alfred A. Knopf: Borzoi Books, New York, NY, 1988
ISBN 10: 0394568656
ISBN 13: 9780394568652
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: Black Cat Hill Books, Oregon City, OR, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. First Edition, so stated. First Edition, so stated. Near Fine in Very Near Fine DJ: Book shows only very minor indications of us: two tiny dots of stain at the top edge and the slightest shelf rubbing at the bottom edge of the boards, which also show three superficial dents; the binding remains square and secure; text clean. The DJ shows barely discernible sunning to the background field of the backstrip; the price is unclipped. No longer pristine, but remains virtually 'As New'. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo. 291pp. Hardback with DJ. Set in Alaska in the late 19th century, this novel is the story of a diverse group of people - Eskimos, Irish, Japanese and North American - brought together by the gold rush and strangely influenced by the alien landscape in which they find themselves. Richard Wiley has also written "Soldiers in Hiding", the recipient of the Pen/Faulkener Prize. Wiley's second novel is a subdued, reflective portrait of the adventurers and fortune-seekers who journeyed to the barely settled town of Nome, Alaska, in 1899, hoping to ride the crest of a gold rush. What many found instead was a harsh Arctic climate that offered little in the way of sustenance, let alone wealth. Coming from worlds as distant and different as America, Ireland and Japan, the explorers had to learn to trust one another's cultural rituals and those of the indigenous Eskimo population. The author interweaves several stories as they unfold over the course of a year. Some of them are straight and vivid: an old Japanese man keeps himself company through the long freeze by recounting the entire history of his country; a young woman opens the town's first bathhouse, later using it as a political base; a preacher holds his flock by creating Bible stories with such characters as Andrew the Suicidal. Seller Inventory # 43078
Quantity: 1 available