Features
- Cover Type: Paperback with 224 pages
- Published by: Vintage
- Edition: 1st Edition October 5, 1999
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0375705902
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0375705908
-
Book Dimensions:
8.1 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
- Weighs: 9.1 ounces
Reader Reviews
Hmmm. People really seem to like this collection of 12 somewhat interrelated short stories. To be quite honest I'm not sure what all the fuss is about: the writing is pretty cool, Lavalle has his own distinctive voice, but for the most part, the actual stories never quite worked for me. The first five stories, which are set contemporarily, were particularly melodramatic and suffer as a result. The second part of the book, about kids in the late-70s and early 80s is much better and rings truer. This is probably one of those books that would be a lot more interesting if I'd grown up in the same time and place as the author. Better collections in the same vein are Jervey Tervalon's _Living For the City_ and Edward P. Jones' _Lost in the City_. Oh yeah, on page 166, it's Graig Nettles, not "Craig"...
Comment | |
(Report this)