The Fighter - Hardcover

Davidson, Craig

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1569474656 ISBN 13: 9781569474655

Publisher: Soho Press, 2007

Synopsis

"A stunning debut. . . . Craig Davidson asks-and answers-some big, uncomfortable questions about the nature of our humanity. The Fighter is an essential novel, destined for cult status at the very least."-Irvine Welsh, author of TheBedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs

Praise for Craig Davidson:

"Davidson . . . smudges the line between comedy and horror, cruelty and mercy. His remarkable stories are challenging and upsetting. . . . Don't look for comfort here."-Chuck Palahniuk

"These big, riveting stories about tough guys in trouble are the best I've read in a long time from a young writer. There's enough incident, shock, and suspense for a dozen books. This collection is filled with stories you haven't heard before."-Bret Easton Ellis

Everything has been handed to Paul Harris, the son of a wealthy southern Ontario winery owner. But after a vicious beating shakes his world, he descends into the realm of hardcore bodybuilders and boxing gyms, seeking to become a real man.

Rob Tully, a working-class teenager from upstate New York, is a born boxer. He trains with his father and uncle, who believe a gift like his can change their lives. But he struggles under the weight of their expectations, fearing his own ability to inflict pain.

Their disparate paths lead to an underground bare-knuckle fight venue where men brawl for hard cash. When two fighters step into a ring where anything goes, sometimes only one walks out.

Craig Davidson was born in Toronto and now lives in Iowa City. His short story collection, Rust and Bone, has been published in the United States, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom.

About this title

About the Author

Craig Davidson was born in Toronto and now lives in Calgary, Alberta. He is the author of the acclaimed short story collection Rust and Bone, which was published by W.W. Norton in the US, Penguin in Canada, Albin Michel in France, and Picador in the UK.

From Publishers Weekly

Two young men heading in opposite directions find their destinies linked by violence in Davidson's dripping-with-testosterone debut novel (following story collection Rust and Bone). After he gets beat up at a bar, Paul Harris questions his coddled, trouble-free life and embraces obsessive workout routines and steroids before finding boxing, the perfect outlet for his newfound rage. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Rob Tully is a boxing star in training on the path to a Golden Gloves tournament. Paul seeks to embrace his new self through the grandeur and punishment of boxing, while Rob struggles to find himself by escaping from that very same world. Their paths cross when Paul fights Rob's uncle in an underground match, and odds-on loser Paul wins, at a big price. Davidson's writing is terse, coarse and fluid in descriptions of exposed viscera, splattered blood and broken bones. There's an unmistakable Palahniuk influence at work. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Soho Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1569474656
• ISBN 13: 9781569474655
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 256