The Watchful Gods And Other Stories

by Walter Van Tilburg Clark, Ann Ronald (Foreword)

This edition of Walter Van Tilburg Clark’s collection of short stories—which includes “Hook,” Clark’s most renowned story—makes these pieces available again to a new generation of readers.Critic John R. Milton once said that Walter Van Tilburg Clark "did perhaps more than anyone else to define (in his fiction) the mode of perception, the acquisition of knowledge, and the style which we tend to call Western." In 1950, Walter Van Tilburg Clark, author of the acclaimed novel The Ox-Bow Incident, published a collection of short stories that had already won distinction in various national magazines. The collection was well received by reviewers, and subsequent critics have noted that these stories reflect both Clark’s literary power and the major concerns of his novels: the interior and intuitive complexities of good and evil, and the fragile, intricate web that connects humankind to the rest of the natural world.

A foreword by Ann Ronald, one of the West’s most astute literary critics, sets the stories into the context of Clark’s oeuvre and illuminates the way they reveal crucial characteristics of this writer’s imagination.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Classics

328 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1950

About the author

Walter Van Tilburg Clark was an American novelist, short story writer, and educator. He ranks as one of Nevada's most distinguished literary figures of the 20th century and is known primarily for his novels, his one volume of stories, as well as his uncollected short stories. As a writer, he taught himself to use the familiar materials of the western saga to explore the human psyche and to raise deep philosophical issues.

Reviews

[that.onebookgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hook made me cry over a bird. a BIRD. Already I would die for the author.

[Drew F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of stories by Walter Van Tilburg Clark. Most of these stories are infused with a slightly melancholic and/or ironic tone, which left me in a contemplative mood after each piece. I did not move through these stories quickly; rather, the rich and textured prose and minimal dialogue forced me to be intentional about my pacing. It reminded me somewhat of my approach to reading Steinbeck. Many themes are explored in these stories, some of which include man's loss of innocence and struggle with redemption, man's impact on (and exploitation of) the natural world (and himself), the validity of technological and societal progress, man's attempt to justify his actions or rectify with revenge, and man's attempt to grapple with the inevitability of aging and death. My favorites from this collection are "The Wind and the Snow of Winter"; "The Anonymous"; "The Buck in the Hills"; "The Portable Phonograph"; and "The Watchful Gods" (a novella).

[Tommy Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Watchful Gods, since it's novella length, looms over and judges the other stories in this book, so despite being brilliantly conceived, is rather tough to get through. It seems like every single thought and second lived of the boy's life is accounted for.
The other stories have a lot to offer though. I especially loved The Buck in the Hills, a story that really reflects some themes Clark has used in his novels; I'm appreciative of stories where there is a clear line drawn of moral and immoral actions and ideas when it comes to things like hunting and people's relationship with nature.
Same thing maybe with The Fish Who Could Close His Eyes, about a none-too-bright fellow who becomes fixated on a singular fish in an aquarium. Don't we all have our own little fish we desperately want to take care of that the rest of world could care less about?