Granta 104: Fathers

Granta: The Magazine of New Writing #104

by Alex Clark (Editor)

Four years after "Mothers", "Granta 104" sets its sights on fathers. Look out for Hisham Matar on his father, who was kidnapped while living in Egypt and imprisoned by Muammar al-Gaddafi in Libya; Helen Epstein on 'fatherhood' within the prisons of San Francisco; a dictator who has styled himself as the Father of the Nation; Rawi Hage on Beirut, as seen through his father's eyes; becoming a father again in middle age; and, Junot Diaz on Latin American 'Big Men'. It also features writers, including Margaret Atwood and Ali Smith, on their favourite pictures of their fathers.

Genres: Literature, Biography, Nonfiction, Anthologies, Essays

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 10, 2009

Reviews

[Georgia Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

The picture sold me. The stories moved me. These dads aren't the vapid kind on greatest dad mugs and tacky t-shirts. They err and ache and mess up sometimes. All real. Whether fiction or memoir, these selections have that ring of truth. I like when writers make that effort. All do, here.

[Frida A · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7? Jaja mis favoritos fueron el de Olga Grushin, Ali Smith, Siri Hustvedt, Emma Donoghue, Jon McGregor, y Jonathan Lethem

[Barak Kassar · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved this. almost every story. it reminded me of what i heard amos oz say in an interview once... that the most personal is the most universal... these are very very personal stories ... not so much about being a father, but about being a child of one

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of stories about Fathers...just what I wanted to read over the holiday season... Granta is always a great collection. The one outstanding story was by Justin Torres.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story, Lessons, was my favorite.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the 24 stories and essays in this issue were about fathers—some kind, some arrogant, some downright scoundrels. I fell in love with Ali Smith’s father Donald Smith, who told her, “When people are dead, graves aren’t where to find them. They’re in the wind, the grass.” I am putting her prize-winning novel “The Accidental” on my ‘to-read’ list. One of the advantages of reading literary journals is being introduced to new authors. Among others, I enjoyed reading “Man and Boy” by Emma Donoghue, a short story about Jumbo, the famous African bull elephant that toured with P. T. Barnum’s circus.

[Joan Winnek · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm browsing in this remarkable collection. I ordered it from the library because I wanted to read Siri Hustvedt's contribution, "My Father Myself." I have also read "In My Father's Footsteps," by Francesca Segal, "Portrait of My Father," by Jon McGregor, and "Portrait of My Father," by Jonathan Lethem. I've also read and perused a remarkable photo essay on British wrestling, entitled "Wrestlers," by Kevin Cummings and John Naughton. I'll continue to dip into this issue from time to time.

I read most of the selections in this issue of Granta, and found all but the ones I skipped reasonably enjoyable.

[sisterimapoet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great selection and this time I found myself particular drawn to the non-fiction pieces. Francesca Segal's piece was wonderful - the journey to understand place, to their understand her father, to therefore understand herself. Sometimes Granta hits on a theme that brings the best out of the contributors and this is one.

[Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good issue of Granta on the theme of fathers. Especially enjoyed reading the short essays based on particular photos of the specific authors' fathers.

[Justin Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

haha

[Lera · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the tales dragged rather, a couple of them almost had me in tears.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A particularly good issue of Granta, all about fathers and children. The essay by Francesca Segal was a special surprise.

[Brenden]

Granta 104 (Granta: The Magazine of New Writing) by Alex Clark (no date)

[Nick]

Bought this with the intent of getting some wider reading as part of my English A-Level course. I read a couple of short pieces but otherwise didn't get very far and don't plan to pick it up again.