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The Peripatetic Coffin and Other Stories
Alternately funny, menacing, and deeply empathetic, the wildly inventive stories in Ethan Rutherford's The Peripatetic Coffin mark the debut of a powerful new voice in contemporary fiction.
Worried about waning enrollment, the head counselor of the world's worst summer camp leads his campers on a series of increasingly dubious escapades in an effort to revive their esprit de corps. A young boy on a sailing vacation with his father comes face-to-face with a dangerous stranger, and witnesses a wrenching act of violence. Parents estranged from their disturbed son must gird themselves for his visit, even as they cannot face each other. And in the dazzling title story, the beleaguered crew of the first Confederate submarine embarks on their final, doomed mission during the closing days of the Civil War.
Whether set aboard a Czarist-era Russian ship locked in Arctic ice, on a futuristic whaling expedition whose depredations guarantee the environmental catastrophe that is their undoing, or in a suburban basement where two grade-school friends articulate their mutual obsessions, these strange, imaginative, and refreshingly original stories explore the ways in which we experience the world: as it is, as it could be, and the dark contours that lie between.
Worried about waning enrollment, the head counselor of the world's worst summer camp leads his campers on a series of increasingly dubious escapades in an effort to revive their esprit de corps. A young boy on a sailing vacation with his father comes face-to-face with a dangerous stranger, and witnesses a wrenching act of violence. Parents estranged from their disturbed son must gird themselves for his visit, even as they cannot face each other. And in the dazzling title story, the beleaguered crew of the first Confederate submarine embarks on their final, doomed mission during the closing days of the Civil War.
Whether set aboard a Czarist-era Russian ship locked in Arctic ice, on a futuristic whaling expedition whose depredations guarantee the environmental catastrophe that is their undoing, or in a suburban basement where two grade-school friends articulate their mutual obsessions, these strange, imaginative, and refreshingly original stories explore the ways in which we experience the world: as it is, as it could be, and the dark contours that lie between.
240 pages, Paperback
First published May 7, 2013
About the author
Ethan Rutherford
7 books107 followersEthan Rutherford’s fiction has been published in Ploughshares, One Story, American Short Fiction, and The Best American Short Stories. He was a 2011 McKnight Artist Fellow and has taught creative writing at Macalester, the University of Minnesota, and at the Loft Literary Center. His first book, The Peripatetic Coffin and Other Stories, is a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection for Summer 2013 and has been long-listed for the Frank O’Connor Award. He plays guitar for the band Pennyroyal. For more information, please visit: www.ethanrutherford.net
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
April 4, 2013
Rutherford offers up a collection of manly, MANLY tales, dripping with sweat, testosterone and Old Spice.
We have men on the edge, men pushed to the brink, men struggling to survive.
There are men on ships, dealing with danger and the elements in the title story, 'Saint Anna,' 'The Broken Group,' and 'Dirwhals.
In 'A Mugging,' one man becomes unhinged to Charles Bronson/Bernard Goetz levels after a violent attack.
And danger comes in the form of men, both strangers AND loved ones in 'Broken Group' and 'John, for Christmas.'
Even the innocent-sounding 'Camp Winnesaka' becomes a blood bath when an obsessed counselor leads his campers on a brutal raid to reclaim their missing moose head mascot.
The stories are extremely well-written, and though most had those "non-ending" endings that I have grown to hate, I did appreciate the focus on something other than man/woman issues.
If you're looking for something different...
We have men on the edge, men pushed to the brink, men struggling to survive.
There are men on ships, dealing with danger and the elements in the title story, 'Saint Anna,' 'The Broken Group,' and 'Dirwhals.
In 'A Mugging,' one man becomes unhinged to Charles Bronson/Bernard Goetz levels after a violent attack.
And danger comes in the form of men, both strangers AND loved ones in 'Broken Group' and 'John, for Christmas.'
Even the innocent-sounding 'Camp Winnesaka' becomes a blood bath when an obsessed counselor leads his campers on a brutal raid to reclaim their missing moose head mascot.
The stories are extremely well-written, and though most had those "non-ending" endings that I have grown to hate, I did appreciate the focus on something other than man/woman issues.
If you're looking for something different...
May 9, 2013
What a joy it is to come across this wonderful book of short stories. Each one is a gem in its own right. The stories vary greatly and several have to do with seafaring or land faring boats or machines. All the stories are wonderfully written with great characterizations and terrific themes.
The title story is about The Hunley, a Confederate submarine that has had two unsuccessful missions killing thirteen men due to malfunction. This is the story of its third mission and what kind of man signs up for such self-defeat – one with hip displacement, another with a severed leg tendon caused by his own bayonet, one with panic disorder, etc. Seven men volunteered out of 400 volunteers. Their job is to sink the largest Union frigate they can find. “They place bets on the time it will take us to sink ourselves. The odds are on less than a week.” The story is funny and poignant at the same time. Since I am not particularly interested in the specifics of the Civil War, only writing of such excellence could have had me so riveted.
‘Summer Boys’ is a lovely rendition of two fifth grade boys, born four days apart, who spend their summer together like twins. The beauty, angst, and fear that comprises this friendship is felt viscerally.
‘John, For Christmas’ tells of a couple who wait anxiously and fearfully for their mentally ill son to arrive home for Christmas.
In ‘Camp Winnesaka’, a less than thriving camp, the camp mascot named Moosey disappears and the camp leader decides it was stolen by a rival camp. He declares war and in the process, several campers die.
In 1914, a group of Russian peasants sign up on the ‘Saint Anna’ for a journey in a ship that is heading north. The journey has two purposes: to map the land and to bring back bounty from hunting. Instead, the ship gets landlocked in ice for two years in temperatures of -30 degrees. This is the story of the ship and the men on it.
‘The Broken Group’ tells of a father and son sailing together. They run into a man who tells them that his boat was damaged beyond repair in a recent storm and he has been waiting four days for the Coast Guard. Things quickly become dark and frightening.
A couple gets mugged in ‘A Mugging’ and this story shows the profound impact that the mugging has on them.
Shipper tanks take to the sand searching for ‘Dirwhals’, a source of energy in the future. They are looking for an animal in the sands that is near extinction and must deal with firsties, an aggressive environmental group. All this is told from the vantage point of journal entries by one Lewis Dagnew who despairs over abandoning his sister.
It is rare that I’ve read a book of short stories that is as powerful, fluid and riveting as this one. Some of the stories are on topics that don’t particularly interest me, yet I was sucked into them by the strength of the writing. I highly recommend this book.
The title story is about The Hunley, a Confederate submarine that has had two unsuccessful missions killing thirteen men due to malfunction. This is the story of its third mission and what kind of man signs up for such self-defeat – one with hip displacement, another with a severed leg tendon caused by his own bayonet, one with panic disorder, etc. Seven men volunteered out of 400 volunteers. Their job is to sink the largest Union frigate they can find. “They place bets on the time it will take us to sink ourselves. The odds are on less than a week.” The story is funny and poignant at the same time. Since I am not particularly interested in the specifics of the Civil War, only writing of such excellence could have had me so riveted.
‘Summer Boys’ is a lovely rendition of two fifth grade boys, born four days apart, who spend their summer together like twins. The beauty, angst, and fear that comprises this friendship is felt viscerally.
‘John, For Christmas’ tells of a couple who wait anxiously and fearfully for their mentally ill son to arrive home for Christmas.
In ‘Camp Winnesaka’, a less than thriving camp, the camp mascot named Moosey disappears and the camp leader decides it was stolen by a rival camp. He declares war and in the process, several campers die.
In 1914, a group of Russian peasants sign up on the ‘Saint Anna’ for a journey in a ship that is heading north. The journey has two purposes: to map the land and to bring back bounty from hunting. Instead, the ship gets landlocked in ice for two years in temperatures of -30 degrees. This is the story of the ship and the men on it.
‘The Broken Group’ tells of a father and son sailing together. They run into a man who tells them that his boat was damaged beyond repair in a recent storm and he has been waiting four days for the Coast Guard. Things quickly become dark and frightening.
A couple gets mugged in ‘A Mugging’ and this story shows the profound impact that the mugging has on them.
Shipper tanks take to the sand searching for ‘Dirwhals’, a source of energy in the future. They are looking for an animal in the sands that is near extinction and must deal with firsties, an aggressive environmental group. All this is told from the vantage point of journal entries by one Lewis Dagnew who despairs over abandoning his sister.
It is rare that I’ve read a book of short stories that is as powerful, fluid and riveting as this one. Some of the stories are on topics that don’t particularly interest me, yet I was sucked into them by the strength of the writing. I highly recommend this book.
February 19, 2013
Here's the best part about reading this collection: the recognition that grips you from page one that Ethan Rutherford's talent is raw and enormous. These stories display the author's wide technical range, and a confident ability to identify and relate precise emotional situations with an empathy that is palpable. None of these stories lack shape or dramatic tension, and the combination of all of this propelled me straight through to the end of the collection.
The stories in this collection that I felt most strongly about in this collection shared a cluster of properties. They were stories that featured relationships between the narrator and (typically) a family member. These relationships were then tested by some external violence (a mugging, an encounter with a mysterious stranger on an island, the threat of physical harm), and the emotional puzzle that emerged was then presented in its full complexity. Rutherford is a master at such scenarios! Several times, I actually found myself holding my breath through the final pages of a story.
I'm completely taken with this collection, and I can't wait to recommend it highly when it comes out! Rutherford just seems to have the ability to pack explosive, emotionally precise descriptions into paragraph after paragraph of compelling prose. I loved this collection, and I can't wait to see what else is in the works for the author of this incredible debut!
The stories in this collection that I felt most strongly about in this collection shared a cluster of properties. They were stories that featured relationships between the narrator and (typically) a family member. These relationships were then tested by some external violence (a mugging, an encounter with a mysterious stranger on an island, the threat of physical harm), and the emotional puzzle that emerged was then presented in its full complexity. Rutherford is a master at such scenarios! Several times, I actually found myself holding my breath through the final pages of a story.
I'm completely taken with this collection, and I can't wait to recommend it highly when it comes out! Rutherford just seems to have the ability to pack explosive, emotionally precise descriptions into paragraph after paragraph of compelling prose. I loved this collection, and I can't wait to see what else is in the works for the author of this incredible debut!
September 28, 2018
This is easily the best collection of stories - and really, the best book - I've read in some time. Rutherford's range is impressive; in spite of the recurring nautical theme, every story is comfortably unique, to the point that it's easy to imagine any one of them being fleshed out into an entire novel. The language is somehow both simple and original, and I love that it's used to enhance the story rather than show off the author's skill. The characters are sarcastic and terse but manage to say a lot with very few words.
Isolation - geographical, social, emotional - and its varying effects are the common threads in these stories. For some characters, isolation instills fatalism (which then manifests as either heroism or lethargy); for others, it leads to withdrawal, panic, or obsessiveness. In most cases, characters move fluidly through these various states. Ultimately, many of the situations Rutherford describes are hopeless - someone has been permanently changed by an experience or an irreversible decision - and this hopelessness gives the stories a sense of weight and significance. There is plenty of humor throughout the book, but it is dark and cynical. I never thought I would laugh so hard about a child drowning for no good reason.
I think what makes this such a quick and exciting read is the way each story calmly builds suspense. There isn't a ton of action, and in fact there's often nothing really happening at all: some people are on a boat; two people are driving in a truck; two kids are spending a summer consuming what will eventually become the hallmarks of '80s nostalgia. But every page builds tension, which is released only in the final few lines of the story, leaving you suspended mid-freak-out. (Horrifyingly, two of these stories are based on actual events.) This book warrants multiple reads, if only to tide you over until Rutherford finally writes a full-length novel.
Isolation - geographical, social, emotional - and its varying effects are the common threads in these stories. For some characters, isolation instills fatalism (which then manifests as either heroism or lethargy); for others, it leads to withdrawal, panic, or obsessiveness. In most cases, characters move fluidly through these various states. Ultimately, many of the situations Rutherford describes are hopeless - someone has been permanently changed by an experience or an irreversible decision - and this hopelessness gives the stories a sense of weight and significance. There is plenty of humor throughout the book, but it is dark and cynical. I never thought I would laugh so hard about a child drowning for no good reason.
I think what makes this such a quick and exciting read is the way each story calmly builds suspense. There isn't a ton of action, and in fact there's often nothing really happening at all: some people are on a boat; two people are driving in a truck; two kids are spending a summer consuming what will eventually become the hallmarks of '80s nostalgia. But every page builds tension, which is released only in the final few lines of the story, leaving you suspended mid-freak-out. (Horrifyingly, two of these stories are based on actual events.) This book warrants multiple reads, if only to tide you over until Rutherford finally writes a full-length novel.
November 27, 2022
Awkward, heart-rending, hilarious. One of the best short story collections I’ve ever read.
July 19, 2013
I'd rate this story collection 4.5 stars.
I stumbled upon Ethan Rutherford's amazingly powerful story collection in a bookstore. How can you resist a book with a title like this?
After reading these stories, I realized this collection has far more to offer than an intriguing title. Some of the stories in Rutherford's debut collection pack a tremendous punch; in fact, I'd wager to say a few of these stories are some of the most powerful I've read in quite some time.
The title story is based on the misadventures of the crew of the first Confederate submarine during the Civil War. It's not a subject I would have ever thought would be intriguing for a short story, yet in Rutherford's hands, you sense the claustrophobia of the vessel, the desperation of the crew to make a difference in a war their side appears to be losing more rapidly day by day, and the courage of knowing their efforts could lead to the ultimate sacrifice. Camp Winnesaka is told from the perspective of the head counselor of a summer camp, who leads his campers into some potentially dangerous situations in an effort to reignite their enthusiasm and keep the camp's financial prospects rosy. In A Mugging, a couple struggles with the aftermath of a mugging in vastly different ways.
My three favorite stories in the collection were the most emotionally affecting. In John, for Christmas, a couple struggles with the toll their emotionally disturbed adult son has had on their marriage and their own psyches, in the midst of an impending blizzard and various other issues. The Broken Group recounts a less than successful sailing trip taken by a father and son, in which the son realizes his father's humanness in a way he never expected. And Summer Boys, which completely knocked me out, explored the sometimes-obsessive friendship of two young boys and the fragile innocence of youth.
What prevented this collection from being completely satisfying was Rutherford's over-reliance on stories about men stranded on ships in the middle of nowhere, on what appear to be hopeless voyages. Although I really enjoyed the title story, by the time the third story about men on a boat searching for an elusive creature rolled around, I wished that the collection had more stories like Summer Boys and some of my other favorites, and less on ships.
That criticism aside, I was blown away by Rutherford's writing talent and the majority of the stories in this collection. He is certainly a writer you need to experience, and I can't wait to see where his career will take him. I know I'll be watching.
I stumbled upon Ethan Rutherford's amazingly powerful story collection in a bookstore. How can you resist a book with a title like this?
After reading these stories, I realized this collection has far more to offer than an intriguing title. Some of the stories in Rutherford's debut collection pack a tremendous punch; in fact, I'd wager to say a few of these stories are some of the most powerful I've read in quite some time.
The title story is based on the misadventures of the crew of the first Confederate submarine during the Civil War. It's not a subject I would have ever thought would be intriguing for a short story, yet in Rutherford's hands, you sense the claustrophobia of the vessel, the desperation of the crew to make a difference in a war their side appears to be losing more rapidly day by day, and the courage of knowing their efforts could lead to the ultimate sacrifice. Camp Winnesaka is told from the perspective of the head counselor of a summer camp, who leads his campers into some potentially dangerous situations in an effort to reignite their enthusiasm and keep the camp's financial prospects rosy. In A Mugging, a couple struggles with the aftermath of a mugging in vastly different ways.
My three favorite stories in the collection were the most emotionally affecting. In John, for Christmas, a couple struggles with the toll their emotionally disturbed adult son has had on their marriage and their own psyches, in the midst of an impending blizzard and various other issues. The Broken Group recounts a less than successful sailing trip taken by a father and son, in which the son realizes his father's humanness in a way he never expected. And Summer Boys, which completely knocked me out, explored the sometimes-obsessive friendship of two young boys and the fragile innocence of youth.
What prevented this collection from being completely satisfying was Rutherford's over-reliance on stories about men stranded on ships in the middle of nowhere, on what appear to be hopeless voyages. Although I really enjoyed the title story, by the time the third story about men on a boat searching for an elusive creature rolled around, I wished that the collection had more stories like Summer Boys and some of my other favorites, and less on ships.
That criticism aside, I was blown away by Rutherford's writing talent and the majority of the stories in this collection. He is certainly a writer you need to experience, and I can't wait to see where his career will take him. I know I'll be watching.
March 29, 2013
To read Ethan Rutherford’s The Peripatetic Coffin and Other Stories is to give oneself over to an improbable series of events which are immensely absorbing. At the same time that these stories are unbelievable, several are based on truth. In these particular stories, Rutherford has written in a sense, a modern history book—timeless depictions of the struggle of survival—and he’s done it with the sort of care we reserve for tragedy victims. His stories not only shed light on our past, but span the present and the future, and ultimately leave the reader wondering, “My God. Where are we?”
Read more here: http://therumpus.net/2013/06/the-peri...
When I started reading Ethan Rutherford’s book of fiction, The Peripatetic Coffin and Other Stories (on sale May 7), at first I was all “These stories are crazy but how does a story about a Civil War submarine get into the same collection as a surreal story about a camp counselor? But that’s cool.” And now that I’ve finished the book I’m all “These stories are outrageous and I can’t believe I questioned their cohesiveness. The story about the early 20th century Arctic sail totally relates to the futuristic story about hunting in the desert.”
Read more here: http://hellogiggles.com/ethan-rutherf...
Read more here: http://therumpus.net/2013/06/the-peri...
When I started reading Ethan Rutherford’s book of fiction, The Peripatetic Coffin and Other Stories (on sale May 7), at first I was all “These stories are crazy but how does a story about a Civil War submarine get into the same collection as a surreal story about a camp counselor? But that’s cool.” And now that I’ve finished the book I’m all “These stories are outrageous and I can’t believe I questioned their cohesiveness. The story about the early 20th century Arctic sail totally relates to the futuristic story about hunting in the desert.”
Read more here: http://hellogiggles.com/ethan-rutherf...
August 22, 2019
Not all of the stories in this book are up to the level of the first story, The Peripatetic Coffin, but this one story is worth the cost of the book or the effort of taking it out of the library. The other stories are all good, but the first is one of the best short stories I've ever read.
August 6, 2020
the short story is a genre that often leaves me just wondering what is going on. This collection is Ok
December 30, 2024
Dismal stories of slow nautical disaster, fraternity gone wrong, men dealing badly with self-inflicted shame from failing to protect women, and boys in peril. Very effective horror.
September 22, 2013
Perhaps it's just me, but while reading this I mostly couldn't wait for it to be over. There were some good stories, for instance, I think "The Broken Group" and "John, For Christmas" stand out, but I was really disappointed in some of the endings (actually both of those stories had unsatisfactory endings, for me at least). Don't get me wrong, I understand theme-wise what the author is trying to do, but I felt that both of those stories deserved better wrap-ups than we got. I'm not saying I want everything tied in a neat bow or a happy ending or anything, but some more detail would be good. I found that I was kind of going, "so what" at the end of "The Broken Group" in particular where we're just kind of left hanging, which doesn't feel like a major part of the story to begin with. Actually at the end of that story, I kind of felt like the author must have not known where to go with the story and just decided to end it.
The endings do work well in several of the stories; for instance, "The Saint Anna" and the title story were both wrapped up well. "Dirwhals!" was alright, but again I just didn't feel much for the story. I mean the whole collection deals very much with apathy and indifference, so perhaps that was the feeling the author was going for. After finishing the collection, I think my main problem was that I never cared much for any of the characters. The stories are well done (for the most part) and the characters are well written (though occasionally too similar, especially the characters in the 3 crew-on-a-ship stories, which felt like the same characters over and over in different circumstances), but I just never cared about any of the characters. The only exceptions were Joan, the wife in "John, for Christmas," the one female character in "The Saint Anna," and the boy in "The Broken Group." But I still never felt particularly strongly about any of them, not to mention, Joan's story essentially gets abandoned halfway through "John, for Christmas" and we finish with her husband's story and the woman on Saint Anna is barely a secondary character and then leaves.
Also, the other problem I had was the occasionally weird dialog that felt a bit jolting, for instance in "The Saint Anna" a character remarks, " Your insouciance is high comedy", which feels very weird for a character on a ship stuck in the Arctic Ocean, but there are some other instances throughout where all of a sudden the character or the narration delves into very elevated language. This wouldn't be a bad thing except that it's not exactly consistent, so it tends to draw attention to itself. There's also the fact that most of the characters on the 3 crew-on-a-ship stories (Saint Anna, Peripatetic Coffin, and Dirwhals) seem like exactly the same wise-cracking sarcastic characters, which just seems out of place since they're set in three very different circumstances.
Anyway, part of it could be the content, but I just didn't enjoy these stories. I'm not disappointed I read them though. I just feel some of the reviews for this collection are a bit overrated. I mean they're fair stories, but there are some better ones out there.
The endings do work well in several of the stories; for instance, "The Saint Anna" and the title story were both wrapped up well. "Dirwhals!" was alright, but again I just didn't feel much for the story. I mean the whole collection deals very much with apathy and indifference, so perhaps that was the feeling the author was going for. After finishing the collection, I think my main problem was that I never cared much for any of the characters. The stories are well done (for the most part) and the characters are well written (though occasionally too similar, especially the characters in the 3 crew-on-a-ship stories, which felt like the same characters over and over in different circumstances), but I just never cared about any of the characters. The only exceptions were Joan, the wife in "John, for Christmas," the one female character in "The Saint Anna," and the boy in "The Broken Group." But I still never felt particularly strongly about any of them, not to mention, Joan's story essentially gets abandoned halfway through "John, for Christmas" and we finish with her husband's story and the woman on Saint Anna is barely a secondary character and then leaves.
Also, the other problem I had was the occasionally weird dialog that felt a bit jolting, for instance in "The Saint Anna" a character remarks, " Your insouciance is high comedy", which feels very weird for a character on a ship stuck in the Arctic Ocean, but there are some other instances throughout where all of a sudden the character or the narration delves into very elevated language. This wouldn't be a bad thing except that it's not exactly consistent, so it tends to draw attention to itself. There's also the fact that most of the characters on the 3 crew-on-a-ship stories (Saint Anna, Peripatetic Coffin, and Dirwhals) seem like exactly the same wise-cracking sarcastic characters, which just seems out of place since they're set in three very different circumstances.
Anyway, part of it could be the content, but I just didn't enjoy these stories. I'm not disappointed I read them though. I just feel some of the reviews for this collection are a bit overrated. I mean they're fair stories, but there are some better ones out there.
August 4, 2013
The Peripatetic Coffin!! What could possibly live up to that name. I kept chanting it to myself while reading.
A pretty decent collection of stories. I didn't love it, but in terms of reactions, I think this falls more in the category "it's not you, it's me." Everything is a bit too bleak and boat-related to really be in my wheelhouse. Also, Rutherford's dialogue really bothered me, most especially in the opening story. It's meant to be set in Confederate times, in one of the first submarine attacks (cool premise!), but...they talk like cynical college kids from the 90s.
BUT. The creepiness level in the Broken Islands story was through the roof- I almost couldn't finish. The Santa Maria story about getting stuck in the ice was hard to forget, and set off all my claustrophobia alarm bells that I didn't even know I had. The last one was a nice little science fiction entry into the usual doomed boat narrative, with modern day resonations.
Maybe I just read it too quickly in my effort to avoid library fines- short stories are usually better taken in small bites.
A pretty decent collection of stories. I didn't love it, but in terms of reactions, I think this falls more in the category "it's not you, it's me." Everything is a bit too bleak and boat-related to really be in my wheelhouse. Also, Rutherford's dialogue really bothered me, most especially in the opening story. It's meant to be set in Confederate times, in one of the first submarine attacks (cool premise!), but...they talk like cynical college kids from the 90s.
BUT. The creepiness level in the Broken Islands story was through the roof- I almost couldn't finish. The Santa Maria story about getting stuck in the ice was hard to forget, and set off all my claustrophobia alarm bells that I didn't even know I had. The last one was a nice little science fiction entry into the usual doomed boat narrative, with modern day resonations.
Maybe I just read it too quickly in my effort to avoid library fines- short stories are usually better taken in small bites.
May 23, 2013
At times hilariously demented; at others, hauntingly poignant (and every other cliched descriptor in between). This collection of unconnected stories manages to build surreptitiously in power to a thundering conclusion more effectively than many novels do. Rutherford has some serious chops. I'll be on constant watch for new output from him from now on.
April 23, 2013
A variety of short stories that made you feel for the characters, even laugh at times.
An enjoyable quick read. The stories would make you feel for these characters.
The ending just comes and you have to think about it.
An enjoyable quick read. The stories would make you feel for these characters.
The ending just comes and you have to think about it.
April 25, 2013
Really good collection. Probably could have garnered all 5 stars if he had stuck to the stories imagining events from historical incidences. Not that the other stories weren't good, but the historic ones were great. Also, the last story was straight out of Dune, but was excellent.
May 8, 2022
Ethan Rutherford focuses a lot on 'isolation' and claustrophobic living conditions as running themes through this collection of short stories, both of the physical and psychological sense. My review of the individual short stories below:
- The Peripatetic Coffin: Confederate submariners navigate the Union blockaded waters of Charleston in the claustrophobic quarters of the H.L. Hunley. Three stars.
- Summer Boys: Two kids become best friends but must contend with the effects of adding a new member to their group, puberty, and their own differences. Two stars, wasn't really for me.
- John, For Christmas: Two aging parents must deal with the feelings of separation that have developed between them as a result of both the fragmenting relationship between the mother and her increasingly aggressive/manipulative/depressed son, and the father's relationship with their younger tenant. Also there are alpacas. Five stars.
- Camp Winnesaka: A summer camp with declining attendance tries to spice things up by introducing nationalism to the campers, focused around reverence to their mascot: a mounted moose head. Hilarity ensues when Moosey is stolen by a rival camp. Five stars.
- The Saint Anna: Russian sailors aboard the Saint Anna become stuck in an ice drift during their exploration of the North Pole. The crew must wait till the ice melts, confined to their ship; relations among the sailors develop as their predicament wears on. Four stars.
- The Broken Group: A father and son aboard a sailboat navigate Canadian waters, until they come in contact with a marooned sailor. Five stars.
- A Mugging: A married couple are mugged; the two handle it in very different ways, isolating them to their own spheres as they both try to do what is best for their family. Four stars, I'd have liked their psyches to be probed a little more.
- Dirwhals!: Dune meets Moby Dick. A team of 'whalers' aboard a sand-trawler look for elusive sand worms that can be used as biofuel in an implied post-climate-disaster world. Four stars.
- The Peripatetic Coffin: Confederate submariners navigate the Union blockaded waters of Charleston in the claustrophobic quarters of the H.L. Hunley. Three stars.
- Summer Boys: Two kids become best friends but must contend with the effects of adding a new member to their group, puberty, and their own differences. Two stars, wasn't really for me.
- John, For Christmas: Two aging parents must deal with the feelings of separation that have developed between them as a result of both the fragmenting relationship between the mother and her increasingly aggressive/manipulative/depressed son, and the father's relationship with their younger tenant. Also there are alpacas. Five stars.
- Camp Winnesaka: A summer camp with declining attendance tries to spice things up by introducing nationalism to the campers, focused around reverence to their mascot: a mounted moose head. Hilarity ensues when Moosey is stolen by a rival camp. Five stars.
- The Saint Anna: Russian sailors aboard the Saint Anna become stuck in an ice drift during their exploration of the North Pole. The crew must wait till the ice melts, confined to their ship; relations among the sailors develop as their predicament wears on. Four stars.
- The Broken Group: A father and son aboard a sailboat navigate Canadian waters, until they come in contact with a marooned sailor. Five stars.
- A Mugging: A married couple are mugged; the two handle it in very different ways, isolating them to their own spheres as they both try to do what is best for their family. Four stars, I'd have liked their psyches to be probed a little more.
- Dirwhals!: Dune meets Moby Dick. A team of 'whalers' aboard a sand-trawler look for elusive sand worms that can be used as biofuel in an implied post-climate-disaster world. Four stars.
July 26, 2018
Solid collection of short stories. There was only 1 of the 9 that I found a little underwhelming. For most of the stories there seems to be a theme of characters being trapped in one form or another - some more literally than others. Tone is all over the place, ranging from sad and morose, to comically absurd. In a good way.
The opening title story and the closer bookend with a neat contrast - the former being a historical fiction and the latter a sort of sci-fi, desert whale wars - yet they are both about characters stuck on a strange ship. (In fact, 5 0f 9 stories are nautical or involve boats). The opener is one of the best in the collection, while the closer has this weird letter structure while feeling like it doesn't want to be, and the writing seems a step below the rest of the stories. A+ concept, though.
Other highlights include Summer Boys, which gets childhood friendship down to a T, and John, For Christmas, about parents dealing with a troubled, adult son.
A few of the endings left me scratching my head, and felt like they were trying to be ambiguous but instead were vague to the point of being obtuse. The writing is good, and while the plots sometimes fall a little flat, the ideas are all top notch.
The opening title story and the closer bookend with a neat contrast - the former being a historical fiction and the latter a sort of sci-fi, desert whale wars - yet they are both about characters stuck on a strange ship. (In fact, 5 0f 9 stories are nautical or involve boats). The opener is one of the best in the collection, while the closer has this weird letter structure while feeling like it doesn't want to be, and the writing seems a step below the rest of the stories. A+ concept, though.
Other highlights include Summer Boys, which gets childhood friendship down to a T, and John, For Christmas, about parents dealing with a troubled, adult son.
A few of the endings left me scratching my head, and felt like they were trying to be ambiguous but instead were vague to the point of being obtuse. The writing is good, and while the plots sometimes fall a little flat, the ideas are all top notch.
March 23, 2019
I picked up this book as one of those "blind date" options they have at quirky bookstores. I was a bit dubious since I'd been warned that, as a book centered around isolation and masculinity, it hadn't received much love from female readers. I can understand why woman wouldn't like some of the stories in here, but I personally was fine with it. Some of the female characters are objectified and treated poorly by male characters, but those actions were never justified in the book, just used as further proof of something gone wrong and rotten in the story. I really enjoyed 'john, for christmas' and 'the saint anna.' You can feel the inevitability and hopelessness coming off of the stories, which is a testament to the author's skill. All in all, not my typical read, but worthwhile.
June 26, 2026
Great collection of stories! I became curious about Rutherford after reading his novel, "North Sun" earlier this year (one of my favorites of the last year), and felt similarly connected/pulled in with this one. Great late 80's/early 90's nostalgia, and/or universal themes around boys and men trying to make sense of/survive their worlds - and like North Sun, lots of depth and heaviness within the smallest of moments. Especially love how his stories typically don't 'resolve' - but still take the reader for a ride.
Favorite stories: "John, for Christmas" - brutal story about a family struggling to deal with an unhinged, mentally ill son. "Summer Boys" - powerful feels and nostalgia around boys/friendship/belonging. "The Broken Group" - Unsettling Father/son and family drama centered around a sailing trip. Weather is dangerous, but so are men. Yikes.
Favorite stories: "John, for Christmas" - brutal story about a family struggling to deal with an unhinged, mentally ill son. "Summer Boys" - powerful feels and nostalgia around boys/friendship/belonging. "The Broken Group" - Unsettling Father/son and family drama centered around a sailing trip. Weather is dangerous, but so are men. Yikes.
January 20, 2020
Same old, same old.
Everything about this collection reeks of someone presenting a new twist on masculinity while offering up the same tropes and treatment of women and men alike
All the women presented are shrills, basic, or rape victims, while the men are basically the same slice of toxicity of men readers are familiar but with thin nods to them having feelings, realizing explicity their “evilness” or simply seen through the eyes of kids. There’s a lot of “this is how the world is...” nonsense messaging, which again feels rote and incredibly boring.
Everything about this collection reeks of someone presenting a new twist on masculinity while offering up the same tropes and treatment of women and men alike
All the women presented are shrills, basic, or rape victims, while the men are basically the same slice of toxicity of men readers are familiar but with thin nods to them having feelings, realizing explicity their “evilness” or simply seen through the eyes of kids. There’s a lot of “this is how the world is...” nonsense messaging, which again feels rote and incredibly boring.
November 13, 2024
I read this in a day during a long bus ride. My initial reaction was that I didn't really connect with most of the stories but then I realized I did read it all in a day so I must've liked it more than I thought.
My favorite story was "john, for christmas"
I intentionally left this book behind in a hotel in London so it can hopefully find a new reader. I don't re-read books so it would've been donated when I got back home anyway.
Find all my reviews at: https://readingatrandom.blogspot.com
My favorite story was "john, for christmas"
I intentionally left this book behind in a hotel in London so it can hopefully find a new reader. I don't re-read books so it would've been donated when I got back home anyway.
Find all my reviews at: https://readingatrandom.blogspot.com
August 15, 2018
An odd collection of just otherworldly stories often set in historical eras. The emotional content was somewhat limited, but the stories were well-crafted, if occasionally too long and on that account in need of editing and slightly indulgent. The author makes excellent use of the historical content, however, particularly in the title story.
October 13, 2025
Rutherford is a talented writer and many of the stories in this collection are extraordinary. The two weakest stories are Camp Winnesaka, focussing on a summer camp where kids keep drowning, but the camp stays open, and Dirwahls, a dull exercise in science fiction.
May 6, 2017
Great writing, great dialogue.
July 19, 2017
Trinity professor! Great short stories.
January 16, 2018
The first confederate submarine (a.k.a. the peripatetic coffin) is such a memorable story as is the one where parents ready themselves for their mentally ill son's visit.
October 14, 2018
Several misses, several hits, all disturbing.
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December 5, 2019I just wasn’t the right audience for this book. Really enjoyed a couple of the stories, but the rest weren’t for me. This may sound dumb, but I think this is kind of a guy book. 😄
March 24, 2022
This was wonderful. I was completely taken by surprise. I haven't yet read Farthest South. Have you? What did you think?
February 27, 2026
Sometimes I really really liked it. Sometimes I didn’t really like it.
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