Warm and witty, poignant and chilling by turns, here is a collection of twelve short stories as diverse as life itself. The settings are Indian no doubt, yet also universal in the human types and emotions so deftly and engagingly captured. What these stories have in common is a quiet, restrained, direct and simple style; deceptively simple and quiet however, for the evocation of place and atmosphere is vivid and the context packed with meaning: at times emotional, at times violent, at times muted, or even humorous, but never bland. The racy narrative carries the reader past many a sharp turn and anxious moment with a swift and graceful ease which makes reading this work a delight. Gabriel s use of traditional forms and techniques and his use of Indian settings make his work seem like a pleasing blend of Somerset Maugham and R.K. Narayan, but a unique and distinctive blend all the same.
Martin Preib is an officer in the Chicago Police Department—a beat cop whose first assignment as a rookie policeman was working on the wagon that picks up the dead. Inspired by Preib’s daily life on the job, The Wagon and Other Stories from the City chronicles the outer and inner lives of both a Chicago cop and the city itself. The book follows Preib as he transports body bags, forges an unlikely connection with his female partner, trains a younger officer, and finds himself among people long forgotten—or rendered invisible—by the rest of society. Preib recounts how he navigates the tenuous labyrinths of race and class in the urban metropolis, such as a domestic disturbance call involving a gang member and his abused girlfriend or a run-in with a group of drunk yuppies. As he encounters the real and imagined geographies of Chicago, the city reveals itself to be not just a backdrop, but a central force in his narrative of life and death. Preib’s accounts, all told in his breathtaking prose, come alive in ways that readers will long remember.
These eleven masterful stories - the first collection from acclaimed author Jennifer Egan - deal with loneliness and longing, regret and desire. Egan's characters, models and housewives, bankers and schoolgirls, are united by their search for something outside their own realm of experience. They set out from locations as exotic as China and Bora Bora, as cosmopolitan as downtown Manhattan, or as familiar as suburban Illinois to seek their own transformations. Elegant and poignant, the stories in Emerald City are seamless evocations of self-discovery.
"Do you have a favorite sound?" little Yoshio asks. The musician answers, "The most beautiful sound is the sound of ma, of silence." But Yoshio lives in Tokyo, Japan: a giant, noisy, busy city. He hears shoes squishing through puddles, trains whooshing, cars beeping, and families laughing. Tokyo is like a symphony hall! Where is silence? Join Yoshio on his journey through the hustle and bustle of the city to find the most beautiful sound of all.
The New Yorker staff writer and Filterworld author Kyle Chayka examines the deep roots-and untapped possibilities-of our newfound, all-consuming drive to reduce. “Less is more”: Everywhere we hear the mantra. Marie Kondo and other decluttering gurus promise that shedding our stuff will solve our problems. We commit to cleanse diets and strive for inbox zero. Amid the frantic pace and distraction of everyday life, we covet silence-and airy, Instagrammable spaces in which to enjoy it. The popular term for this brand of upscale austerity, “minimalism,” has mostly come to stand for things to buy and consume. But minimalism has richer, deeper, and altogether more valuable gifts to offer. In The Longing for Less, one of our sharpest cultural critics delves beneath the glossy surface of minimalist trends, seeking better ways to claim the time and space we crave. Kyle Chayka's search leads him to the philosophical and spiritual origins of minimalism, and to the stories of artists such as Agnes Martin and Donald Judd; composers such as John Cage and Julius Eastman; architects and designers; visionaries and misfits. As Chayka looks anew at their extraordinary lives and explores the places where they worked-from Manhattan lofts to the Texas high desert and the back alleys of Kyoto-he reminds us that what we most require is presence, not absence. The result is an elegant synthesis of our minimalist desires and our profound emotional needs. With a new afterword by the author.
The years 1945?1950 were turbulent times in Korea. Proponents of two very different ideologies were struggling for control of the country, and many innocent people were killed in the struggle. One of the most tragic and, until now, largely unknown events during this period occurred on Jeju Island in 1948. On April 3 of that year, a communist uprising that enjoyed significant support within the local communities was brutally suppressed by the police and military forces of the Korean government, with guidance from the American military. It is estimated that at least 30,000 people, many of them innocent civilians, were killed in the brutal massacre ordered by President Syngman Rhee. And yet very few people, either within or outside of Korea, have a clear understanding of the enormity of this event, for an eerie silence has surrounded it for the last 50 years. Islanders who survived the event have remained silent about it largely out of fear of how they might be implicated in it, or associated with the communist forces in Korea, if it were openly discussed. This is the story of ?The Jeju Massacre,? a story that needs to be told.The short stories by Hyun Kil-Un brought together in this collection are all set on Jeju Island in and around the time of the Jeju Massacre. Each story offers its own unique perspective on the events surrounding the massacre, and the connections between the stories provide readers with a deep, multi-faceted understanding of the incident. This fictional exploration of the Jeju Massacre dramatically illustrates how innocent people are the victims of ideologies, how truth can be concealed on such a large scale, and how the revelation of truth can be so subversive in society.This is the first English-language translation of this collection of stories by Hyun-Kil-Un. The stories assembled here are readily accessible to all readers of the English-language, but will be especially relevant to those with an interest in Korean literature, Korean history, Japanese colonialism, the communist movement, and Korean-American relations.CONTENTS ?The Dream of the Dragon Horse; ?Dawn?; ?Grandfather?; ?Fever?; ?The Homecoming?; ?Fire and Ashes?; ?Dead Silence?
When a new family moves in next door, Joe's mum explains that they are asylum seekers. Joe hears that they are silence seekers, especially as Mum adds that they need peace and quiet. When he sees a young boy from the family sitting disconsolately on the steps, Joe decides to help him find a quiet place in the noisy and chaotic city. A simple, moving story which is the perfect way to gently open discussion around the refugee crisis.
The highly anticipated second—and final—book in the immersive fantasy duology inspired by West African folklore that began with the New York Times bestselling A Song of Wraiths and Ruin, from author Roseanne A. Brown. Perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi, Renée Ahdieh, and Sabaa Tahir. Karina lost everything after a violent coup left her without her kingdom or her throne. Now the most wanted person in Sonande, her only hope of reclaiming what is rightfully hers lies in a divine power hidden in the long-lost city of her ancestors. Meanwhile, the resurrection of Karina’s sister has spiraled the world into chaos, with disaster after disaster threatening the hard-won peace Malik has found as Farid’s apprentice. When they discover that Karina herself is the key to restoring balance, Malik must use his magic to lure her back to their side. But how do you regain the trust of someone you once tried to kill? As the fabric holding Sonande together begins to tear, Malik and Karina once again find themselves torn between their duties and their desires. And when the fate of everything hangs on a single, horrifying choice, they each must decide what they value most—a power that could transform the world, or a love that could transform their lives.
These are short stories about ordinary folk leading seemingly ordinary lives. The power of community, extended family and culture are central to all. Thirteen stories in which the joys of discovery are tempered by the knowledge of a harder, colder world. Sunlight, childhood and nature set against conflict and misunderstanding, in the ever-present shadows of the spirit of the land.
