In the Heart of the Heart of the Country, by William H. Gass

[Trevor]

In the Heart of the Heart of the Country and Other Stories



Publication Date: November 4, 2014
Pages: 256
Originally published in 1968.
Introduction by Joanna Scott.

First published in 1968, In the Heart of the Heart of the Country established William Gass as one of America’s finest and boldest writers of fiction, and nearly fifty years later, the book still stands as a landmark of contemporary fiction. The two novellas and three short stories it contains are all set in the Midwest, and together they offer a mythical reimagining of America’s heartland, with its punishing extremes of heat and cold, its endless spaces and claustrophobic households, its hidden and baffled desires, its lurking threat of violence. Exploring and expanding the limits of the short story, Gass works magic with words, words that are as squirming, regal, and unexpected as the roaches, boys, icicles, neighbors, and neuroses that fill these pages, words that shock, dazzle, illumine, and delight.

Contents:
-The Pedersen Kid
-Mrs. Mean
-Icicles
-Order of Insects
-In the Heart of the Heart of the Country

[Luke]

So gorgeous. I may have to acquire this edition despite already owning a copy.

[Trevor]

Pushed back to November 11.

[Trevor]

And now pull up to November 4 :-) .

[Trevor]

Out today -- and fantastic it is! I read the first story last evening and, boy, I feel I've been missing out! Can't wait to read the rest.

[Guy]

My copy arrived yesterday

[Trevor]

The only thing I'd read by Gass before this was On Being Blue, when NYRB released it earlier this year. I liked that book fine, and I certainly thought it was brilliantly written. But these stories . . .

I think I can put "The Pedersen Kid" as one of my top stories of all time, and I hear some of the others (which I'll be starting today) are even better.

[Trevor]

I finally finished this and posted my review at my site.

I think NYRB Classics fall 2014 line has been outstanding, one of their best.

[Jason]

I was put off by the author's stream-of-consciousness introduction, and what I read of "the Pedersen Kid" was unpleasant. Maybe I should've stuck with it, but with so much else to read...

First NYRB Classic I have disliked.

[[deleted user]]

i read this last year & thought it was okay, but i've been rereading bits here & there, & it's really great.

have you guys read this: http://www.full-stop.net/2014/11/14/r...

[Matthew]

This looks like a definite possibilty on picking up. Love the cover as well. The timing given my reading of Middle C couldn't be better really, as Gass is quickly winning me over with his gorgeous sentences.