Fifteen ferociously imaginative and provocative stories was how
Kirkus presciently welcomed this early work of PEN/Faulkner-winning,
Man Booker shortlisted author Karen Joy Fowler.
First published in 1998 to high praise, and now reissued with the
addition of a prefatory essay, Black Glass showcases the extraordinary
talents of this prizewinning author. In fifteen gemlike tales, Fowler
lets her wit and vision roam freely, turning accepted norms inside out
and fairy tales upside down pushing us to reconsider our unquestioned
verities and proving once again that she is among our most subversive
writers.
So, then: Here is Carry Nation loose again, breaking up discos, smashing
topless bars, radicalizing women as she preaches clean living. And here
is Mrs. Gulliver, her patience with her long-voyaging Lemuel worn thin.
And what of Tonto, the ever-faithful companion, turning forty without so
much as a birthday phone call from that masked man?
It is a book full of great themes and terrific stories but it is the way
in which Fowler tells the tale, develops plot and character, plays with
time, chance, and reality that makes these pieces so original.
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