Items related to A Field Guide to the North American Family
Synopsis
For years, the Hungates and the Harrisons have coexisted peacefully in the same Long Island neighborhood, enjoying all the fruits--and temptations--their suburban habitat has to offer. But when the patriarch of one family dies unexpectedly, the survivors face a stark imperative: adapt or face extinction. In 63 interlinked fictional vignettes and 63 accompanying photographs, Garth Risk Hallberg's literary debut cuts multiple paths through the lives of its characters. As readers reconstruct it--in any order--the fractured story of these two families becomes an improbable meditation on connection. Part postmodern experiment, part photo essay, part Choose Your Own Adventure, A Field Guide to the North American Family is an innovative and deeply personal addition to the lineage of the family novel."In this stunningly beautiful, cross-referenced exploration of suburban intimacy, the story of two struggling families emerges gradually, achingly--and never the same way
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Garth Risk Hallberg is the author of the novella A Field Guide to the North American Family and was selected by Richard Bausch as one of 2008′s “Best New American Voices.” His short stories have been published, most recently, in Glimmer Train, Canteen, and The Pinch. Essays have appeared in Slate, More Intelligent Life, and the Best of the Web anthology. A 2008 New York Foundation for the Arts Fellow in Fiction, Garth teaches at Fordham University. He’s finishing up his first novel and a story collection.
Review
“Hallberg inhabits each of his characters completely, and there is some gorgeous image or turn of phrase on almost every page. Especially impressive are the voices of the kids in the story, which feel natural and true . . . A pleasure to read.” —New York Times Book Review
“Evocative of masters of American suburbia such as Updike, Cheever, Salter, and Richard Yates . . . Conjuring a dreamily filmic spell, with shades of American Beauty and The Ice Storm, this is a work that can be approached (and rediscovered) a number of ways, all equally rewarding. It’s an ideal coffee table or bedside companion, to be dipped into for flashes of pleasure.” —The Independent (UK)
“Provocative . . . There’s no denying the author’s way with words . . . There’s virtuosity at work.” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"In this stunningly beautiful, cross-referenced exploration of suburban intimacy, the story of two struggling families emerges gradually, achingly—and never the same way twice. Hallberg's prose is lacquered and precise, and the kaleidoscope of collected images forms a shifting, luminous backdrop. A perfect marriage between sculptured form and wondrous content. Read it. Now." —Reif Larsen, author of I Am Radar
“Hallberg has a fine novelist’s grace and sensitivity.” —Kirkus Reviews
"A Field Guide to the North American Family reads like magic, like a private book of spells meant to keep away all the things that have already happened; each word and image matters. It's a gorgeous labyrinth of a book." —Rivka Galchen, author of Atmospheric Disturbances
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherMark Batty Publisher
- Publication date2011
- ISBN 10 1935613243
- ISBN 13 9781935613244
- BindingPaperback
- Edition number1
- Number of pages144
- Rating
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace
Stock Image
A Field Guide to the North American Family
Seller: Books Unplugged, Amherst, NY, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Buy with confidence! Book is in good condition with minor wear to the pages, binding, and minor marks within 0.8. Seller Inventory # bk1935613243xvz189zvxgdd
Quantity: 1 available