Book
Jesus out to sea : stories / James Lee Burke.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781416548560 (trade pbk.)
- ISBN: 1416548564 (trade pbk.)
- Physical Description: ix, 240 p. ; 22 cm.
- Edition: 1st Simon & Schuster trade pbk. ed.
- Publisher: New York : Simon & Schuster, 2007.
Content descriptions
| Formatted Contents Note: | Winter light -- Village -- Night Johnny Ace died -- Water people -- Texas City, 1947 -- Mist -- Season of regret -- Molester -- Burning of the flag -- Why Bugsy Siegel was a friend of mine -- Jesus out to sea. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Hurricane Katrina, 2005 > Fiction. Louisiana > Fiction. Mississippi > Fiction. |
| Genre: | Short stories. |
Available copies
- 3 of 3 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Castlegar Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 3 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castlegar Public Library | FIC BUR (Text) | 35146001027630 | Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
More information
- Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2007 April #2
Burke's celebrated Dave Robicheaux mystery series hinges on encounters between the powerless and the powerful; the powerless usually lose, of course, but at least they have New Iberia, Louisiana, policeman Robicheaux to fight some of their battles for them. The 11 stories in this collection of Burke's short fiction also dramatize what happens when poor people are trapped in the vice of circumstances beyond their control, but here there is no Robicheaux to come to their aid. Although some of the stories concern individuals caught in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina--the ultimate circumstance beyond one's control--the majority are set in the past, usually rural Louisiana or Mississippi in the late 1940s. Whether the lead characters are abused children or prostitutes trying to escape the life, Burke always makes us see both the near certainty of tragedy to come and the smoldering embers of possibility in the ashes of blighted lives. He is both a deeply romantic and an unremittingly realistic writer, and it is in that tension that his lyrical prose takes flight: "But even in the middle of an Indian summer's day, when the sugarcane is beaten with purple and gold light in the fields, . . . I have to mourn just a moment for those people of years ago who lived lives they did not choose, who carried burdens that were not their own." ((Reviewed April 15, 2007)) Copyright 2007 Booklist Reviews. - Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2007 May #1
Eleven violent, heartfelt slices of life among the underdogs of the Louisiana bayous and Texas plains from acclaimed mystery novelist Burke (Pegasus Descending, 2006, etc.).Burke's volcanic novels of guilt, revenge and redemption wouldn't have pegged him as a master of the highly wrought short story. Yet he's something even better: a natural storyteller with a feeling for unequal conflicts and the pain of impotence and humiliation. Within a page or two, he can hook you with the tale a retired professor menaced by a cadre of swaggering hunters ("Winter Light") or, in a virtual rehash of the same plot, a rancher who takes up for a young woman harassed by a biker gang in "A Season of Regret." In "The Night Johnny Ace Died" and "Why Bugsy Siegel Was a Friend of Mine," starry-eyed small-time hoods cross paths with criminal headliners, with results as touching as they are predictable. A running argument between an oil-rig driller and a dynamiter swells to a roar before it subsides in "Water People." Several entries visit the territory in the wake of Katrina. The title story strands a pair of young musicians in the floodwaters waiting for rescue by Jesus or a charismatic gangster, and "Mist" follows a shattered survivor determined to stay off drugs and the streets despite repeated relapses. But Burke's voice is just as urgent when he's describing a murderous raid in Vietnam ("The Village") or recalling the childhood of boys being raised by their father's uncaring mistress ("Texas City, 1947") or standing up to a smooth-talking predator ("The Molester") or fighting over an American flag against the backdrop of Pearl Harbor ("The Burning of the Flag").If some of the endings are rushed or unconvincing or just plain AWOL, that's because Burke understands that conflicts like these, even spun out to novel length, never truly end. Copyright Kirkus 2007 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved. - Library Journal Reviews : LJ Reviews 2007 March #2
A doubleheader from Burke, with the devastation wrought by Katrina as backdrop. The first is a paperback original featuring ten stories and the second brings back Burke stalwart Dave Robicheaux. Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information. - Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2007 April #3
The 11 previously published stories in this strong collection showcase Burke's handling of familiar themes and places, minus the trappings that accompany his popular Dave Robicheaux or Bill Bob Holland novels. The inevitable marriage of war and atrocity is powerfully described in the very brief Vietnam War tale, "The Village." The title story, one of two dealing with Katrina and its aftermath, shows the lasting damage of war on survivors. Both "Winter Light" and "A Season of Regret" feature disillusioned, stoical academics, loners coping with the encroachments of cruder society. Most wrenching and affecting are several coming-of-age tales: "Texas City, 1947" depicts brutalized children and contains a surprising dnouement; "The Molester" and "The Burning of the Flag" both feature childhood friends from the WWII era confronting bullies or demons. Burke demonstrates impressive range, sensitivity and polish in these smaller-scale gems. (June)
[Page 30]. Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
