Strangers in Paradise

by Lee K. Abbott

A guilt-ridden father drumming World War II history into his son, a vet turned desperado, a golfer gone temporarily mad--all of Lee Abbott's bold and reckless characters negotiate the bounds of acceptable human behavior with frequent missteps.

Genres: Short Stories

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Tarik Atallah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird and lovely.

[Abe Brennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this collection of stories, many of which overlap in terms of locale and character, Mr. Abbott mixes hyperbolic prose with a southwestern vernacular to produce fourteen lively tales. Fisticuffs, golf, booze, politics, adultery, larceny, all find a place in Abbott’s rough and tumble mélange of upper crust and lower cusp societal elements. Through lyrical linguistics and sheer energy, these characters leap from the page and into our heads where ransacking ensues. One is hard-pressed to pick a winner between Mr. Abbott’s masterful characterization and his eerie evocation of place, and these two elements in tandem elevate these stories to the upper echelon of American literary art.

[J.I. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abbott, as always, mixes the surreal and the ordinary, telling stories of love and deceit, doubt and success, the believable and the not, all with a twisted diction that makes each story dance above the ground, a lyrical delight that other writers surely all aspire to, even if they can't quite reach such heights.

[Bill Householder · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Youth On Mars" is one of the strangest, most beautiful stories Mr. Abbott has ever written. All stories in this collection are quite good with "Youth" being the high-water mark.

[Laine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's definitely a man's world but I truly enjoyed it. Why may be hard to explain - lots about male angst, feeling lost, an apocalypse, bad parenting, alcoholism, war and golf - none of which i find particularly appealing. Yet at times I couldn't put it down. The writer is clearly very well read and intelligent. It is challenging while at the same time intriguing and humorous. I found there was always something to relate to even in the most bizarre stories. Maybe it's that we are probably of similar age and I can recognize my own parents' faults and weaknesses. This doesn't explain much. In short - I really liked it but it is clearly not for everyone.