"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
John Burnham Schwartz's Bicycle Days (1989) received favorable reviews but seemed very much an autobiographical first novel. His second fiction, Reservation Road, however, is a book that resists genres: a tragedy where all the characters are flawed and none are entirely guilty; a thriller where the killer, Dwight, wants to be caught but is too laden with self-loathing to turn himself in; and an experimental novel where the narrative jumps gracefully among three perspectives.
In the opening pages Schwartz establishes strong connections between fathers and sons. Moments before the accident Ethan watches his son standing precariously close to the curb; he sees possibilities in Josh, a shy boy whose musical gifts indicate a sensitivity that is no less present, though more mature, in his father. At the same time, Dwight and his son, Sam (also 10), are rushing home from an extra-innings Red Sox game where Dwight tries to rebuild the fragments of attachment left after a bitter divorce. Schwartz reveals depth in simple gestures--a hand, for example, placed in a hand, only to be self-consciously pulled away. Dwight drives on after hitting Josh, though he slows in a moment of hesitation in which Ethan hears him calling "Sam" or "Sham"--he's not sure which. Out of grief, and with only scattered clues, Ethan begins his quiet pursuit of the killer, a pursuit that fuels the novel to its poetic conclusion. In Reservation Road, John Burnham Schwartz has crafted a lasting work of literature, a page-turner that's also a rich character study. --Patrick O'Kelley
"A powerful and affecting novel...haunting...highly suspenseful...compelling to read."
--Michiko Kakutani, New York Times
"Spellbinding...a haunting tale"
--Booklist
"A poignant thriller...quietly breathtaking...a suspenseful literary novel"
--Betsey Osborne, Vanity Fair
"A pleasure to read. Suspense is redefined here..."
--Sandra Scofield, Newsday
"A lovely book, full of life and feeling"
--Peter Matthiessen
"One of those rare--very rare--novels that you don't so much read as inhabit...But it's the novel's conclusion, as perfect as it is sudden, shocking and completely unexpected, that will stick in your memory."
--Tom Dehaven, Entertainment Weekly
"A beautiful novel. An important novel"
--David Bowman, New York Observer
"Both a beautiful, wrenching story of redemption, and a novel of exquisite suspense"
--Anne Lamott
"A first-rate work of fiction disguised as a page-turning thriller"
--David Halberstam
"An unexpected pleasure...It will leave the reader entranced as well as moved."
--Erica Noonan, Boston Herald
"A non-stop read...a wonderful writer"
--Ward Just
"A triumph of form, pacing and power...character-driven as it is, it reads like a thrille, swift and complete."
--Kit Reed, New York Times Book Review
"It possesses a conclusion of such power that it would be a literary crime to reveal it."
--Deirdre Donahue, USA Today
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Book Description Condition: Very Good. 1712147117. 4/3/2024 12:25:17 PM. Seller Inventory # U9781861591142
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. A novel of literary suspense which examines the disintegration of 2 families after the accidental death of 1 of their sons. Set in surburban Massachusetts, a story of 2 families whose lives permanently intertwined when 1 father, Dwight accidentally killsJosh, 10 year old son of Ethan & Grace, in a hit & run on Reservation road. The novel tells the parallel stories of Dwight, his 10 year old son, Sam, ex wife Ruth and her new husband Norris, and the mourners : academic English Professor Ethan, wife Grace, a garden designer and 8 year old daughter Emma, as we wait for Dwight to confess or be discovered. During his life his wife had an affair and left him, getting custody of his son Sam, seeing only after 7pm on sundays. On the fateful day, Dwight and Sam late coming home from a baseball game, so driving fast. Same day Ethan's family went to concert and had stopped at garage for toilet. Son drifted into road and was killed instantly when hit by Dwight. Ethan only sees a car with 1 headlight and a man calling out a word like sam or slam. Ethan is fixated on revenge, while police give up. With Dwight on brink of suicide, Ethan befriends Dwights son, who gives his faather away. Ethan confonts Dwight in the snow in the mmiddle of the night An incredibly powerful and suspenseful novel. The characters are extremely strong and become increasingly complicated and connecyed to 1 another in the most accomplished, spare and moving way. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR003814848
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First Edition. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Seller Inventory # 900374
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good. 1st Edition. 1st UK edition, corner unclipped, some light wear to edges and corners of dustjacket, edges lightly creased, some light wear to covers and spine, top of spine a little bumped, internally in good condition, pages crisp and clear. Seller Inventory # 043548
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First Edition UK. First UK Edition hardcover with unclipped dust jacket in very good condition. Light shelf wear to the jacket, page block is slightly blemished, and board corners and spine ends are a little bumped. Pages are clear and unmarked throughout. LW. Used. Seller Inventory # 540886
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. First edition first printing. Hardback book is tight clean and square. Boards sharp and clean, gilt perfect. Text block clean, with light toning to edges. Some mild spotting to top edge. Feels lightly read. Minor bump to head and foot of spine. Jacket some minor crimping to top edge. Light handling marks to the gloss. Overall very good. This copy is not ex-lib, not priced clipped and has no inscriptions. For grading accuracy books are photographed without a protective book cover. This book is fitted with a non adhesive archival quality book protector to make a quality addition to your collection. Note we do not use stock images, the book pictured is the book described. A solid example of this collectible first edition first printing book. Seller Inventory # 001637