Waltz in Marathon

by Charles Dickinson

Shy and compassionate moneylender Harry Waltz is the richest man in Marathon, Michigan, and at sixty-one, has dedicated his life to bringing "honor and gentlemanliness" to loan-sharking. His wife died twenty years ago, he lost one son in Vietnam, helped put the other in prison, and his twin daughters have grown up and moved away. He lives alone in a large house surrounded by repossessed automobiles, and expects his life to continue at the quiet pace he is accustomed to.But when he falls in love with forty-two-year-old lawyer Mary Hale, everything changes. She gets his son out of prison, and he moves back home, along with the twin daughters, one of whom is pregnant by her out-of work husband, and the other who is enamored with the same man. To complicate his life even further, his clients have stopped paying their debts, and now it seems that he is losing any sense of the stability he had come to rely on.

Genres: Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Charles Dickinson is an American writer known for his literary novels that mix heartbreak and humor with action and well-developed characters. His books include, in the order of their publication: Waltz in Marathon, Crows, With or Without (a short story collection), The Widows' Adventures, Rumor Has It, A Shortcut in Time, and its sequel, A Family in Time. His short stories have appeared in Atlantic Monthly, Esquire, and The New Yorker.

Reviews

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a hard time getting into books. So when I want to read and can't get into a new book, I re-read a select few books. This is one of those books. It's both sweet and sad and it's actually one of the books I've read that I would recommend to all my goodreads friends.

[Stephan Benzkofer · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, know that the author is a friend and former coworker. But read on anyway!

This is a remarkable debut novel. Scratch that, this is a remarkable novel, maybe more so because it is his first. It is entertaining and funny and moving. Peopled with memorable, real characters living in the vividly drawn small town of Marathon, Michigan, the author succeeds in an area where so many fail. His characters stay true to themselves. That doesn't mean they don't fail or do stupid things or hurt each other, but when the plot thickens, they stay in character. That means that violence is violent. And shocking and disturbing. Relationships are difficult. Family is important—and difficult. And while the characters have quirks, they aren't cartoonishly quirky, another common problem, especially with the small-town novel.

The result is a refreshing, honest novel that I highly recommend.

[Amy Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this nearly 40 years ago and loved it. Forgot what it was about of course, but remembered thinking it was one of my favorites to that point. So I figured I should check back in. It is good. Very low key and understated but moving and carefully written. I recommend it highly still.

[Sharon Bandhold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely delicious writing!

It is rare to find an author whose writing is so poignant, so inspirational, that one doesn't want the book to ever end. Not only is Mr. Dickinson the undisputed King of Simile, he grabs your heart from the very beginning & never lets go. I wanted to have more stars to rate.his writing-- like, 100! If you read only one author's works this year, all of his are the ones to read.

[Irinel Finco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book.