Items related to The Birth and Death of the Miracle Man and Other Stories
Synopsis
This remarkable collection of stories offers a portrait of the fascinating and complex world of Samoa. There is Salepa, down on his luck but determined to use his one talent on the reluctant inhabitants of a nearby town; Fiasola, who feels that the Miracle Man is being born inside him; the young man who disgraces his family by stabbing a European nun; and Gabriel who, on the death of his father, relives his family's tragic past.
A gifted and original writer, Albert Wendt has created a world rich in imagination and dreams, reflecting the common experience of people everywhere.
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From Publishers Weekly
These 12 short stories set in Samoa seem at first like fables of a simpler life, yet taken together they prove to be thought-provoking modernistic parables. The title narrative probes one villager's existential dilemma: Fiasola Ta'ase, a schoolteacher, feels that his life has lost meaning until he slays the "miracle man" growing inside him. In "Prospecting," the search for gold leads to a burial ground and, oddly, to a new kind of richness and fertility. Several of these tales are entertaining character studies which easily cross cultural lines, as in "A Talent," about a man whose only skill is thievery. Wendt (Leaves of the Banyan Tree moves easily among his characters, evoking a young girl's curiosity and intellectual acuity as vividly as an older man's feelings upon the death of his father. And in all of them, the reader unfamiliar with Polynesian customs will be able to appreciate the beauty of the land, its people, and its collective spirit.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"A renewed delight. . . . Tragic, stoic, forgiving, and not to be missed."
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherUniversity of Hawaii Press
- Publication date1999
- ISBN 10 0824818229
- ISBN 13 9780824818227
- BindingPaperback
- LanguageEnglish
- Number of pages176
- Rating
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The Birth and Death of the Miracle Man and Other Stories
Published by
University of Hawaii Press, 1999
ISBN 10: 0824818229
ISBN 13: 9780824818227
New
Softcover
Seller: BookShop4U, PHILADELPHIA, PA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Condition: New. . Seller Inventory # 5AUZZZ000VT3_ns
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The Birth and Death of the Miracle Man and Other Stories
Published by
University of Hawaii Press, 1999
ISBN 10: 0824818229
ISBN 13: 9780824818227
Used
Softcover
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
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Condition: Very Good. Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00074934224
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The Birth and Death of the Miracle Man and Other Stories
Published by
University of Hawaii Press, 1999
ISBN 10: 0824818229
ISBN 13: 9780824818227
Used
Paperback
Seller: The Book Bin, Salem, OR, U.S.A.
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Paperback. Condition: Very Good. 12 short stories by a well-known Samoan author. *** 175pp. *** Reprint. Seller Inventory # CORV-BBP-10632
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The Birth and Death of the Miracle Man and Other Stories
Published by
University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu, 1999
ISBN 10: 0824818229
ISBN 13: 9780824818227
Used
Paperback
Seller: BIBLIOPE by Calvello Books, Oakland, CA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Near Fine(+). Third edition. Black multicolored octavo, black spine, 175 pages; 21 cm. Samoans -- New Zealand -- Fiction. Contents: A talent -- Justice -- The birth and death of the miracle man -- Elena's son -- Exam failure praying -- The balloonfish and the armadillo -- Prospecting -- I will be our saviour from the bad smell -- Birthdays -- Daughter of the mango season -- Crocodile -- Hamlet. Extremely mild rubbing to spine head and foot, extremely gently rubbed corners, extremely light soiling to rear cover and two fore-edges, bright pages in tight binding, else Near Fine(+). Seller Inventory # 91095
Quantity: 1 available