The Girl of the Lake: Stories

by Bill Roorbach

Nine richly varied, often funny, always moving stories that cross a range of landscapes and generations to reveal the complex workings of the human heart.
 
Bill Roorbach conjures vivid, complex characters whose layered interior worlds feel at once familiar and extraordinary. He ­first made his mark as the winner of an O. Henry Prize for one of his stories and the Flannery O’Connor Award for his fi­rst collection, Big Bend. His astounding new collection, ­The Girl of the Lake, captures a virtuoso in his prime.
 
Among the unforgettable characters Roorbach creates are an adventurous boy who learns what courage really is when an aging nobleman recounts history to him; a couple hiking through the mountains whose vacation and relationship ends catastrophically; a teenager being pursued by three sisters all at once; a tech genius who exacts revenge on his wife and best friend over a stolen kiss from years past; and many more. These stories--some being published for the fi­rst time, the rest originally from the Atlantic Monthly, Playboy, Ploughshares, the Missouri Review, Ecotone, and others--are as rich in scope, emotional, and unforgettable as Bill Roorbach’s novels. He has been called “a kinder, gentler John Irving . . . a humane and entertaining storyteller with a smooth, graceful style” (the Washington Post), and his work has been described as “hilarious and heartbreaking, wild and wise” (Parade magazine), all of which is evident in every story in this arresting new collection.
 

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Short Story Collection

257 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 27, 2017

About the author

Bill Roorbach's newest novel is The Remedy For Love, coming October 2014 from Algonquin Books. Life Among Giants, also from Algonquin, is in development for a multi-year series at HBO, and won the 2014 Maine Literary Award in Fiction. Big Bend: Stories has just be re-released by Georgia in its Flannery O'Connor Award series. Temple Stream is soon to be re-released by Down East Books. Bill is also the author of the romantic memoir SUMMERS WITH JULIET, the novel THE SMALLEST COLOR, the essay collection INTO WOODS. The tenth anniversary edition of his craft book, WRITING LIFE STORIES, is used in writing programs around the world. His short fiction has been published in Harper's, The Atlantic Monthly, Playboy, and dozens of other magazines, journals, and websites, and has been featured on NPR's Selected Shorts, and won an O. Henry Prize. He lives in western Maine where he writes full time.

For more information about Bill Roorbach, see www.billroorbach.com, www.lifeamonggiantsthebook.com, and be sure to enjoy his blog and videos at www.billanddavescocktailhour.com. Follow him on Twitter: @​billroorbach.

Reviews

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

When one falls in love with the first story, the other stories in the collection have a hard act to follow. The first story, a young boy, clever enough to get himself signed out of school, plays war games on the estate of an elderly neighbor. Before the story's end he will learn that real war is nothing like play.

Although this story would remain my favorite, I did admire all of them. The prose was outstanding, clever and smart, often witty. They all concern relationships, of all different sorts, and often when least expected, they have unexpected or insightful endings. The last story, which is also the title story, came closest to the first one in my favor. A seventeen yesterday old boy, his grandmother and an island. Out of sadness, joy is found.

A good, solid, often brilliant collection of shorts.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Roorbach's novel, Remedy of Love a couple of years ago and I liked it, but it took his latest story collection, to really get my attention. Wow! This dude can write. He has a terrific understanding of what makes people tick and combine those observational skills with superb storytelling chops and you have one very fine collection. There is humor, compassion and memorable characters. I am sure, Roorbach, is beloved in New England, he is a Mainer after all, but this guy deserves a much wider audience. Hope this one puts him on the map. Fingers crossed.

[Book Riot Community]

I know I have raved about him before, but I’m going to do it again, because Bill Roorbach is a national treasure. And I’m not just saying that because he’s a Mainer like me. These nine stories are funny and emotional slices of life, with unforgettable characters and so much heart. Roorbach has been called “a kinder, gentler John Irving,” and I think that is the perfect description. I never miss a chance to see him speak, and I’m wildly envious of his students.

Backlist bump: Big Bend: Stories by Bill Roorbach


Tune in to our weekly podcast dedicated to all things new books, All The Books: http://bookriot.com/listen/shows/allt...

[Katy O. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of ten stories is a wonderful literary homage to relationships, with each story being incredibly unique and in some way a statement on the human condition. Roorbach hits a vast array of topics, from a young child exploring Russian history with an elderly neighbor to a lustful online dating encounter between a farmer and a former member of the clergy, among many others. Regardless of the topic of each story, they are all hopeful and thought-provoking shorts - in my reading life, they were perfect as palate cleansers between longer novels.

My favorite story in the collection is the title story, "The Girl on the Lake" which takes readers to a lake cabin with the 17-year-old narrator as he spends the summer with his widowed grandmother. It instantly made me reminisce for the lake cabin of my own childhood and I fell in love with Chick, his grandmother and the entire lake property.

Thanks to Algonquin for the advance review copy of this title - all opinions are my own.

[Tory · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of writing that makes me happy to be alive: the kind that makes you feel grateful to get to experience it. I was nothing but beautiful, enchanted goosebumps all over at the ends of "Harbinger Hall," "Murder Cottage," and the title story, "The Girl of the Lake"; there is absolutely luminous prose in "Some Should." This is a book I feel richer for having read. I'd never heard of Bill Roorbach before now, but I will be seeking out everything else he has to offer. Bravo, times a million.


-----
Edit after reading it again 3 years later -- still quite good but I'd probably downgrade to 4 stars this read-around. It was truly a 5 star book on my first read though!

[Pauln · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling stories that quickly engage the reader (even those that usually don’t like short stories!) No central theme between stories, but likable characters in interesting situations. A quick read.

[LindaJ^ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill Roorbach is a marvelous writer who lives in the great state of Maine. I went to one of his book readings at Longfellow's Books in Portland a few years ago and found him quite entertaining. His book Remedy of Love was one of the finalists for the 2015 Kirkus Fiction Prize. That was a good novel but the ten stories in this book are even better. If I read the Acknowledgments correctly, eight of the stories were initially published elsewhere but were probably changed to some degree before inclusion here. I loved the first story the most, but all were very good.

Harbinger Hall -- A young boy forges his mother's signature on a letter to his teacher that explains the family is moving. The family is not moving but Bobby is bored with school. Now he is spending his days of freedom exploring. One place he likes to visit are the grounds and buildings of a mansion until one day he is caught and turned over to the butler and then led to an audience with the owner -- Mr. D'Arcy, who Bobby sees is older than his grandfather but looks mean. It is a wonderful and heartwarming story.

Kiva -- A story told by a very intelligent high school senior - Kali - who is more beta than alpha. His father is an important geneticist. They had moved to the US eight years before from Afghanistan. A new man - Hesterly - has started work at the lab where his father works. Hesterly's oldest daughter Claire is as smart as Kiva. Kiva's father helps him become friends with her, along with her odd sisters.

The Fall -- A hike goes very wrong.

Murder Cottage -- A college professor gets a real deal on a lake side cottage where a couple was murdered by the woman's spurned boyfriend.

Princesa -- A young movie star brings life to a resort.

Broadax, Inc. -- Revenge doesn't always work the way the revenger thinks it will.

The Tragedie of King Lear (my second favorite) -- Widower becomes #1 volunteer for community playhouse he and wife enjoyed. Life once again has meaning. Then comes the production of King Lear.

Some Should -- Internet dating website arranged date leads to love between Episcopal priest and farmer.

Dung Beetle -- College friendships eventually come full circle, at least for 3 of 4 friends.

The Girl of the Lake (another third favorite) -- It's 1969 and 17 year old Chick Flexhardt spends the summer with his recently widowed 82 year old grandmother at the lake. Chick learns to drive and cement his love of the lake. Grandma puts one over on her greedy children.

[Kathy Heare Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of humorous short stories.

I won an advanced reading copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am donating it to a senior assisted living facility.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really engaging collection of stories. Each one offers a fresh look, and kept my attention. Recommended!

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harbinger Hall is a brilliantly structured and compelling story. The rest of the collection is almost as perfect. 4.5 stars.

[Sylvia Snowe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Waaaaay too much detail, making the stories tedious to read. I enjoyed two of the stories a great deal, the rest were mostly an excuse to obsess over details the author enjoyed, such as in food, swimming, theater production. And a lot of excuses to talk about sex, which the author seems to think we all need to hear about in detail. No, it's like eating a great meal, making a quilt, going to a concert or a great museum. It's not literature.

[Deadohiosky77 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m starting to lose track of how many amazing short story collections I’ve read this year. This one is yet another excellent addition to the growing list. All ten stories were completely immersive and the characters felt so well developed. Bill Roorbach is going on my list of need-to-read-more-of for sure!

[Madeline W · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pros: the author appears to enjoy nature and maybe history. Cons: none of the stories imparted that frisson of narrative or interiority that I look for in short stories. I should have realized earlier that I'm not that interested in storytime for well-educated middle-aged lady-loving New England dudes. Would not recommend.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of beautiful short stories. A really good read.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. Thank you!!

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fell asleep

[dl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only bought this because it was pretty! Surprisingly enjoyed all the stories (with the exception of one, which I hated so much I almost screamed.)

[Mica · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book admittedly took some time for me to get into. As my second ever “grown-up” short story collection, The Girl of the Lake felt disappointing and underwhelming next to the excellent world-building skills and prose of Madam Octavia Butler. I shouldn’t have felt surprised though— this was a fiction collection but definitely with stories based on the more realistic and mundane side of things; it was no science fiction or rich fantasy.

Overall, a few stories stood out, but none enough to make a lasting impression on me for longer than say… the next few weeks? I would recommend this book if you’re someone who easily gets wrapped up in the daily drama of living life around people with their own stories, but be warned: Bill Roorbach seems to like wrapping everything up with a tidy little bow after spending so much time unraveling the complexities of relationships and man’s daily choices.

Lastly, I didn’t find his female characters particularly appealing or realistic; it occurred to me at some point that most of his characters in general seem flat and even predictable. Congrats to Roorbach for the few stories that were able to effectively whisk me away but boo him in general— not another meh white male writer overflowing with undeserved praise!

[Jeffrey Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bill Roorbach was introduced to me as a "kinder and gentler John Irving." High praise, and the exact way that would pique my interest. While I enjoyed The Girl of the Lake: Stories, I have a sense that I may the comparing short-form writing of Roorbach with the long-form, epic, and frequently multi-generational novels of John Irving is an apples and oranges exercise.

I will add that his few couple stories will knockout's, with a fair bit of heart and reality to them. Not as detail-oriented or world-building-oriented as Irving's work is (for obvious reasons), but worthwhile nonetheless.

I will take Roorbach for another turn but next time plan on trying one of his novels instead.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm reading "The Girl of the Lake" for the third or fourth time and remain impressed by the plotlines, characters, and images. These stories are special. I saw the details of every location from the harrowing levels of "Harbinger Hall" to the trail the characters were hiking on in "The Fall" to the wonderful detail of "The Girl of the Lake." The other seven stories in the collection are equally gripping/exciting such that I'm unable to select a favorite. I never wondered where the characters were in the story and was all the more immersed with the rich characters and elaborate scenery & story the author imagined onto the page.
I have a stack of books to read that could reach the handlebars of my motorcycle but I return to "The Girl of the Lake" every so often for an amazing read.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill Roorbach is one of our best writers, and in The Girl of the Lake he's in top form. I don't know anyone else who can build such complete worlds in short stories, at least not since the Hemingway of Kilimanjaro, Macomber and One Trip Across. These are like distilled novels that magically retain their full flavor. Prose, characters, place, ingenuity of plot, dialogue, narrative; all present and accounted for. Even if you're someone who doesn't ordinarily read short stories, you should make an exception for The Girl of the Lake. And if you're someone who does fancy the short form, well, I don't know what else I can say except you'll be very happy to have read this book.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection for those who like hopeful short stories with heart. Each one is carefully crafted and beautifully written- and they are just perfect in and of themselves. I read these as intermezzos between books and more than once I was struck by how the short story was better than the novel I'd just finished. So many recent collection have focused on despair and rotten circumstance and that's not the case here. I had not read Roorbach before but I'm going to look for his work in the future. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. You will enjoy meeting these people.

[Linda Ollis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!
This is the first book of short stories I've read in a decade that absolutely absorbed me into each unique and creative story. Roorbach has a compelling style and even the sentences, sometimes run into each other and create and urgency to keep reading, keep reading.
Some are heart-breaking, some heart-warming.....but always a sense of both understanding and yet marveling at the human condition and spirit that he describes to well.
It's impossible to pick a favorite tale -- all ages, ethnicities, etc. are here for your enjoyment.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. That's not a thought I usually have when I finish every story in a collection; that's the nature of collections, after all. Still, that's what happened with this book. The stories are interesting, yes, and well-written, but more than that they are full of humanity. I fell under Roorbach's spell story after story. I am happy that I can investigate his other work, because I was ignorant until now. Wow.

[Clare Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this. ‘The Tragedies of King Lear’ was (of course) my favourite, and the rest at turns lovely and unsettling. I literally said “oh that’s wonderful” upon finishing ‘Murder Cottage’ on the subway. His style of giving quick “and they would live happily ever after” wrapups to the end of many of them was not something I ever expected, and I’m still torn on whether they struck me as too easy or as something I appreciated. Definitely want to read his other stuff.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this book up from the library on a whim, while I was searching nearby in the alphabet for another.

Most of the stories involve people’s getting together, separation or loss, and various forms/stages of reunion and the writing captures all the tension and heartbreak and intensity that goes along with those phases of life just so wonderfully.

I’d be hard pressed to choose a favorite story. FIVE STARS all the way. Looking forward to reading more from Bill Roorbach.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling, genuine, real, human. Light reading yet layered with the complexity of nuanced literature, like the quality of a lake—level on the surface but inviting the reader to plunge in deep. Roorbach has clearly mastered the art of the short story, his characters so dimensional, honest, and true—conveying, somehow, the actual heart of each one—that they come out of the page and into your life in just a few short pages. Happy to have read this collection this summer.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

American short stories from the perspective of a bourgeois white heterosexual male, a la John Updike. Excellent, flowing prose, beautifully-paced and written stories. Soulful representations of humanity and relationships; slice-of-life tales with just enough drama to be interesting but not stressful. Effortless, atmospheric, rich and textural, overall a pleasurable but high-quality read. Most stories were “R”-rated, with sex and death common themes.

[Kate Ellesworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original-- both in the telling and in the content. Each one a surprise wrapped in unvarnished characters revealing their worst while remaining if not likable, oddly relatable and totally foreign. The unifying thread in these short stories is the slice of life slow that eases the reader into a sense of the ordinary before the lightning speed of the characters trajectory takes over, often leaving both characters and readers awash in an ugly truth.

[Nancy Chadwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Roorbach follower of his previous books of instruction and non-fiction/memoir, this book is consistent with his transparent story structure, crafting characters in wanting-to-know more anticipation of what comes next. This is a great read for any writer in study of the short story and any reader who envisions seeing their own girl of the lake.

[Donna Schelby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I am just not a fan of short stories. That might be it. I never felt invested in the characters or the content. There were two stories that were ok. The Girl of the Lake Story was good but left a MAJOR hanging chad unresolved. I think maybe a book of short stories is just not for me. It took me over a week to get through a book of a mere 240 pages - just couldn't engage.