The Rendezvous and Other Stories
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The Rendezvous and Other Stories by Patrick O'brian
Patrick O'Brian has emerged, in the opinion of many, as one of the greatest novelists now writing in English. His fame rests mainly on the achievement of the epic Aubrey/Maturin novels, but few readers know that O'Brian first made his reputation as a writer of short fiction. Collected here for the first time are twenty-seven stories that O'Brian wishes to preserve: stories of uncommon lyricism and beauty that will confirm his rightful place in the front rank of short-story writers as well as of novelists. Although the tone of this collection ranges effortlessly from the humorous to the dramatic, the most characteristic and memorable stories often have to do with a glimpse of savage, destructive forces through the fragile shell of human civilization. The threatened chaos may be psychological, as in "On the Wolfsberg," or it may be lurking in the natural world, as in "A Passage of the Frontier," or, as in the dark masterpiece "The Chian Wine," it is suddenly discovered in the ancient, irrational impulses of human nature. The setting may be the marshes of western Ireland, the Pyrenees, or the claustrophobic confines of a clockmender's house, but each story is a showcase for Patrick O'Brian's fresh and meticulous prose; each story reaffirms his sympathetic understanding of human passion and suffering. This collection proves that O'Brian is not simply the master of a genre, but an author who will long be honored as one of our most eminent literary figures.
"Eloquent and elegant" -- Kirkus Reviews
"If a measure of good short fiction is its continuing ability to arrest attention, Mr. O'Brian's collection can surely be counted a success." -- New York Times Book Review
"O'Brian's prose is often beautiful and always impeccably crafted." -- Publishers Weekly
"If a measure of good short fiction is its continuing ability to arrest attention, Mr. O'Brian's collection can surely be counted a success." -- New York Times Book Review
"O'Brian's prose is often beautiful and always impeccably crafted." -- Publishers Weekly
One of our greatest contemporary novelists, Patrick O’Brian is the author of the twenty volumes of the best-selling Aubrey/Maturin series, as well as many other books, including Testimonies, The Golden Ocean, The Unknown Shore, and biographies of Joseph Banks and Picasso.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780393036855 |
| ISBN 10 | 0393036855 |
| Title | The Rendezvous and Other Stories |
| Author | Patrick O'brian |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | WW Norton & Co |
| Year published | 1995-01-20 |
| Number of pages | 256 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |