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At the Jim Bridger: Stories
by
Ron Carlson
Welcome to the short stories of Ron Carlson, where strange beach towels turn up in your suburban living room; where the ordinary son of a family of geniuses spins a rollicking tale of happiness and disappointment; and where a desperate ex-con with a broken heart must hide out in a desert hotel, only to make a startling discovery. Epic in scope and confessional in tone...more
Paperback, 208 pages
Published
May 1st 2003
by Picador
(first published 2002)
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“At the Jim Bridger” is a collection of short stories written by Ron Carlson. The collection consists of nine traditional stories and what seems to be two non-fiction interludes after every three stories. The interludes are not stories themselves but seem to be more along the lines of a self reflection as well as creative notes to the reader. These interludes work well to break up the transitions from certain stories to give the reader a vague glimpse of the mind of a man who created them.
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Ron Carlson is a masterful writer of short stories, that being said, I feel like this book does not stand up to his other collections - The Hotel Eden, Plan B For Middle Class & The News of the World.
I first found Ron Carlson after reading a magazine review of his latest novel, The Signal: A Novel. Instead of taking on that novel, I started with his short stories and fell in love with them.
"At the Jim Bridger" is Carlson's newest book of stories and I had extr...more
I first found Ron Carlson after reading a magazine review of his latest novel, The Signal: A Novel. Instead of taking on that novel, I started with his short stories and fell in love with them.
"At the Jim Bridger" is Carlson's newest book of stories and I had extr...more
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Found a copy at a library book sale. It's been sitting on my "to read" pile for a while. Finally picked it up. Really liked it. Gave it 4 stars and may move it to 5 on a reread. This is a really good collection of short stories but probably not one for readers who like to have a "conclusion" to their stories. A good example is the story "Gary Garrison's Wedding Vows." It tells a story but at the end some readers might ask "What happens to Mark and Juanita?"...more
Ron Carlson will be at the LA Times Bookfair so I picked this collection up at the library. It is excellent. Even a week later, I remember all three stories I've read vividly. He is insightful, his dialogue sparkles and I really feel for his characters.
5/6/09
I met Ron and really enjoyed being able to cite specifically how his stories inspired me and helped me solve problems in my own work. (Typing that sounds so pretensious as I can only hope to be as good a short fiction write...more
5/6/09
I met Ron and really enjoyed being able to cite specifically how his stories inspired me and helped me solve problems in my own work. (Typing that sounds so pretensious as I can only hope to be as good a short fiction write...more
Thought I would give the Scandinavian mysteries a break and try short stories, which usually feel less painful because they are short and you don't have to live with the characters for long. Although I have enjoyed Carlson's work in the past, this didn't appeal to me. I couldn't get past the awkward title (and that story) and found that nothing stood out for me. Carlson is a great writer but sometimes I feel he is too clever for his own good and devices such as odd character names and fancy t...more
Why don't I remember these stories after reading them. I almost had to completely re-read Evil Eye Allen to convince myself that I had read it. Maybe it's because they are so straight forward; no fireworks pop, no symphonic army of salvation bells rings. I even misremembered a Rick Bass story into the collection, and I read these in the past month. I know I did. I read them outside my room at a rundown resort motel, in the shrinking shadow of a copper mine. I remember it clearly. There was a...more
Karen
rated it
Recommends it for:
"Towel Season" to anybody I love
Recommended to Karen by:
Selected Shorts
In all his stories he describes the lonely feeling in all its glory, and he's generally funny. Towel Season is one of my all time favorite short stories for the the above reasons, plus the intimate language the husband and wife use to find each other.
This is an excellent collection of stories. Mr. Carlson might be one of the best short-story writers around.
Towel season recommended by SQT
"Gary Garrison..." broke my heart, and it's been a long time since I've read a story that could do that.
Carlson has a gift for the eccentric and evocative. His stories vary pleasantly, but many seem to inhabit the contradictions of human lives, the cozy opposites in which we live and are puzzled. He excels at being touching without being sentimental.
My favorites include "Single Woman for Long Walks" and "Gary Garrison's Wedding Vows."
My favorites include "Single Woman for Long Walks" and "Gary Garrison's Wedding Vows."
I discovered the stories of Ron Carlson on NPR's Selected Shorts. Found a bunch of his books via Amazon.
He's one of those writers who energizes the imagination, since he is so fully in touch with his. The world opens a little, tilts in new directions. Love him.
He's one of those writers who energizes the imagination, since he is so fully in touch with his. The world opens a little, tilts in new directions. Love him.
At the Jim Bridger, the title story from this collection, ties with my other favorite short story, The Paperhanger by William Gay. So much in the writing to admire, so difficult to emulate. It's good to have a dream...
Mr. Carlson is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. To say the least, he has a way with words. And, he has the extraordinary ability to make ordinary people remarkable characters and their situations memorable.
The title story is a very good story. All the elements of storytelling and short story writing are depicted in this collection with skill. Each story is tender, complex and touches on the human experience.
Brilliant writing by a master of the short story form. Another one to add to the list of favorites.
I've already read "Towel Season" and loved it.
really fucking good.
N.T.
marked it as to-read
Megan
marked it as to-read
Cass Allwright
marked it as to-read
Dana
marked it as to-read
Melissa
marked it as to-read
Mike Lynch
marked it as to-read
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Ron Carlson is an American novelist and writer of short stories.
Carlson was born in Logan, Utah, but grew up in Salt Lake City. He earned a masters degree in English from the University of Utah. He then taught at The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut where he started his first novel.
He became a professor of English at Arizona State University in 1985, teaching creative writin...more
More about Ron Carlson...
Carlson was born in Logan, Utah, but grew up in Salt Lake City. He earned a masters degree in English from the University of Utah. He then taught at The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut where he started his first novel.
He became a professor of English at Arizona State University in 1985, teaching creative writin...more
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