The Stories of Richard Bausch - Hardcover

Bausch is a compelling storyteller whether he's creating such richly layered novels as Hello to the Cannibals (2002) or his electrifying short stories. Notable for their structural perfection, convincing physicality, and psychological depth, Bausch's masterful stories were showcased in a selected collection in 1996, and are now presented in a major retrospective volume containing 42 indelible tales. An intrinsically American writer, Bausch captures the sense of alienation that haunts so many of us, the feeling that life is arbitrary, bereft, and absurd, and that even those closest to you are, in fact, total strangers, and none too benign. Again and again in Bausch's riveting short stories, siblings, spouses, and parents and children suddenly find themselves in conflict or utterly estranged. And yet in spite of their isolation, Bausch's down-on-their-luck characters also feel trapped. Helpless in the grip of anger, fear, or longing, they lash out, lie, badger, argue, and disappear. Confusion reigns; life is "so frail and precarious"; violence is always a possibility; and sources of joy--a pregnancy, winning the lottery--turn out to be liabilities. But these are truly redemptive tales given that Bausch illuminates both benevolent and malevolent aspects of human nature with dark humor, a spiky imagination, consummate artistry, and unfailing compassion. Donna Seaman
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