Living in the Weather of the World

by Richard Bausch

Overview

In these fourteen indelible stories, Richard Bausch once again proves himself a modern master.

From the prize-winning novelist and universally acclaimed short story writer ("Richard Bausch is a master of the short story" --The New York Times Book Review), thirteen unforgettable tales that showcase his electrifying artistry.
   Bausch plumbs the depths of familial and marital estrangement, the violence of suicide and despair, the gulfs between friends and lovers, the complexities of divorce and infidelity, the fragility and impermanence of love. Wherever he casts his gaze, he illuminates the darkest corners of human experience with the bright light of wisdom and compassion, finding grace and redemption amidst sorrow and regret. Bausch's stories are simply extraordinary.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780451494825
Publisher:	Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/04/2017
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

RICHARD BAUSCH is the author of twelve novels and eight volumes of short stories. He is a recipient of the PEN/Malamud Award, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Lila Wallace Reader's Digest Award, and the Literature Award from the Academy of Arts and Letters. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Esquire, Playboy, GQ, Harper's Magazine, and other publications and has been featured in numerous best-of collections, including The O. Henry Prize Stories, Best American Short Stories, and New Stories from the South. He is a graduate of Iowa's MFA program and is currently a professor of English at Chapman University in Orange, California.

Read an Excerpt

Walking Distance
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Living in the Weather of the World"
by .
Copyright © 2017 Richard Bausch.
Excerpted by permission of Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

"Stunning... Bausch's latest book... puts the reader in mind of Flannery O'Connor's ability to open out a story into dangerous, unknown territory. And like O'Connor, Bausch is able to pull a story back from melodrama, no matter how sudden or dramatic the turn of events...That Bausch can delivery such convincing humanity, no matter the initial angle of ascent, is a testament to his powers of technique and observation."
—Dominic Smith, The New York Times Book Review


"Masterly...This is a sublime collection."
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)


"This superb collection of short fiction by Bausch offers readers a disturbing portrait of contemporary America...Plumbing a nation that has lost its sense of purpose and direction, these stories chart the emotional and psychological dmage that is produced by experiences under these conditions. Enthusiastically recommended for fans of literary fiction."
—Library Journal (starred review) 


"Resonant and entertaining...Populated with believable characters that you care about...Bausch's stories portray marriage, love and infidelity with the same insight, empathy and wit that he has for the lives of servicemen...Bausch deftly imbues his characters with enough depth to make a commonplace story something unique and emotionally thrilling...His writing is uncluttered, and every word feels perfect. The stories here aren't just entertaining; they demonstrate just how exciting and resonant realistic short fiction can be."
 —Houston Chronicle


"[Bausch] makes piercing miniaturizations. In his spare prose, Bausch leaves as much to the imagination as he puts in. He also abides by Irish short story writer Frank O’Connor’s dictum of occasionally having the end of a story come down like a kite out of wind - with a bang of surprise...Every one of these stories is a treasure...Read “Living in the Weather of the World” and see if it doesn’t give you some new ideas of how to deal with misery and love."
 —The Buffalo News

From the Publisher

★ 04/15/2017
This superb collection of short fiction by Bausch (Peace; Something Is Out There) offers readers a disturbing portrait of contemporary America—tragically compromised, listless, and at war with itself. Most of the main characters in these stories drift helplessly into and out of disastrous personal and romantic relationships, and much of the action is driven by lies, boredom, and petty self-interest. Lethal violence blossoms early one morning on the streets outside a bar in "Veterans." A husband abandons his loving wife for a torrid affair with a young woman who is married to a wealthy 80-year-old man in "The Lineaments of Gratified Desire." In "We Belong Together," a philandering husband loses both his wife and his lover in a matter of minutes. There is psychological and physical violence in many of the stories, as well as profound loneliness and disillusionment. VERDICT Plumbing a nation that has lost its sense of purpose and direction, these stories chart the emotional and psychological damage that is produced by experiences under these conditions. Enthusiastically recommended for fans of literary fiction. [See Prepub Alert, 10/10/16.]—Patrick Sullivan, Manchester Community Coll., CT

Library Journal

2017-01-23
Interesting people in various painful predicaments find ways to muddle through.The current collection of 14 stories from Bausch (Before, During, After, 2014, etc.), considered one of our living masters of fiction, demonstrates the author's lightning-quick ability to develop complex, unique characters and situations, and the title tells a lot about its throughline. The "weather of the world" refers to the aspects of life that are out of our control, and the stories examine how we choose to make our peace with them—a theme made explicit in a story called "Map Reading," about two gay siblings who, through circumstance and inertia, have been of no help to one another in their travails. The brother "had always been inclined to gloomy reflections. Friends remarked on it. With several of them he had formed a casual club that never met, called the Doom Brothers Club." When his younger half sister wonders whether everyone in the world isn't "living in sin," he observes, "Everyone's living in whatever weather there is where they are." This story, like many in the collection, finishes on a note of lingering sadness, and several stories deal with male protagonists making big mistakes in romance. The cop in the first one, "Walking Distance," pays the price for an excess of uxoriousness, while the painter in "The Lineaments of Gratified Desire" becomes distracted from the treasure he already has by one sparkling beyond his reach. The confessed adulterer in "We Belong Together" has an unpleasant surprise in store, and the newlywed in "The Hotel Macabre" makes the error of allowing his odious sister to join him and his bride on their honeymoon. In one of the few stories from a female point of view, "Night," the male partner is a violent abuser; other stories examine damaged men from a closer perspective, particularly "Veterans Night," about young men who have served in Iraq, and "Still Here, Still There," about a near-centenarian pair from World War II. The weather in Bausch's world is never better than overcast, but his craftsmanship lights up something fine in the gloom.

Kirkus Reviews

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