The Handyman by Carolyn See
With this brilliant novel about the surprises of destiny and the origins of fame, the critically acclaimed author of Golden Days (Extraordinary . . . a very, very important book-Los Angeles Times Book Review) and Making History (Radiant . . . exciting and imaginative-Cleveland Plain Dealer) firmly establishes her place as one of the preeminent chroniclers of our times. The Handyman is the story of Bob Hampton, an aspiring young painter who has had to face the humbling fact that he doesn't know what to paint. And how are you supposed to be an artist in this world if you don't have a vision? Bob trades in his artist's palette for a minivan full of house paints, hammers, and nails, and sets about earning a little cash as a handyman. Although he turns out to be very bad at fixing the things he's hired to fix, Bob demonstrates quite a knack for fixing the lives of the people around him. In the midst of his jerry-built repairs and inspired home improvements, Bob meets an extraordinary cast of characters--rendered in all their delightful eccentricity and human frailty as only Carolyn See can-each of whom shows Bob the true scope of his own remarkable talent. There's Angela Landry, a housewife with far too much time on her hands, a sexpot of a stepdaughter, and a son in need of attention; Jamie Walker, whose allergy-prone and ADD-afflicted children keep a menagerie of scaly pets that far exceed Jamie's managerial skills; Valerie LeClerc, older, sadder, and certainly wiser than Bob; and Hank and Ben, who leave a narrow-minded Midwest only to find unremitting illness and isolation in the California of their dreams. Replete with stunning images and all of Carolyn See's trademark humor and wisdom, The Handyman depicts the countless ways in which our lives are intertwined and the profound effects we can have on one another. It is the kind of surprising and miraculously uplifting novel we have come to expect from the woman Diane Johnson has called one of our most important writers. From the Hardcover edition.Carolyn See is the author of a number of novels, including The Handyman and Golden Days, as well as nonfiction works like Creating a Literary Life: Tips for Writers and Other Dreamers and Dreaming: Bad Luck and Good Times in America. She has served on the boards of the National Book Critics Circle and PEN/West International, as well as being a book critic for The Washington Post. She has received Guggenheim and Getty grants, and she is currently an English professor at UCLA. She resides in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780345426604 |
| ISBN 10 | 0345426606 |
| Title | The Handyman |
| Author | Carolyn See |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Random House USA Inc |
| Year published | 2000-04-04 |
| Number of pages | 272 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |