The Prisoner Pear: Stories from the Lake

by Elissa Minor Rust

The twelve stories in The Prisoner Stories from the Lake take place in an affluent suburb of Portland, Oregon, but they could be taken from any number of similar enclaves across the United States. These stories infuse stark reality with occasional hints of magical realism to explore what the American dream means to twenty-first-century suburbanites. In a city where the homecoming queen still makes the front page of the weekly newspaper, ducks caught in storm drains and stolen campaign signs make up the bulk of the paper’s crime reports. The community’s hidden complexities, however, rival those of Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio . Each of the stories begins with an entry from the newspaper’s police blotter. Elissa Minor Rust fills in the background to these small, odd events-a headless parakeet found in a mailbox, a nude jogger, an alarmingly deathlike discarded teddy bear. Her stories, both humorous and disturbing, probe beneath the clear, hard surface of a community into the murky depths beneath. The lake at the center of town is a constant in the lives of this town’s people, and it reappears throughout the book as a symbol of wealth and power, of love and loss. The Prisoner Pear offers a rare look inside the heart of suburban America. Reading these stories is, as one character observes, “like seeing the town from the inside out, as if the lake was its heart and the rest merely its bones and skin.”

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

193 pages, Paperback

First published December 12, 2005

Reviews

[Mary Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Prisoner Pear is a collection of short stories set in Lake Oswego, three in downtown/first addition, three in Mountain Park, three in Lake Grove, and three on the Lake. Each is based on an entry in the Lake Oswego Review police blotter. Author Elissa Minor Rust is an accomplished writer of description so the characters and events are clearly drawn. She also portrays authentic people and situations, but she combines what's clearly real with some weirdness, kind of magic realism, and open endings pervade this example of her work.

[Sheree · Rating 1 out of 5]

there were a couple of interesting stories but most were not that good - some bizarre. the author lives in Portland and the stories are related to the Portland area which was an interesting part for me but wouldn't be that interesting to others unfamiliar with the area. one story was about Mormons - it appeared that the author grew up as a Mormon and the slant on the story was negative so that disappointed me. i do not recommend it for anyone.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was attracted by the cover art, and the author is cute too! Each story is prefaced by an actual (and strange) police report from Lake Oswego, Oregon. The author then crafts a story which includes an explanation of the police report, but doesn't necessarily end with it. Very interesting, and imaginative.

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book stinks. I might even say worst book ever, but I hate to get overly dramatic on you. Lets just say, it probably has tea with the worst book ever on a regular basis. They probably both belong to the same country club.

[Rosemary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Collection of short stories that take place in Lake Oswego, Oregon-suburb of Portland. Each story is based on a newspaper headline, plucked from the news and then made into a story. Fun to read, especially of you know the area.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Limited in scope but well done for what it was. I loved the true-life news reports from Lake Oswego that started each story, forcing contemplation of the relationship between truth and fiction, and which might be stranger.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

enjoyable, first half of the book has great stories, the last few are rather odd

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange stories, but I loved that they were set it Lake Oswego! Fun to read about local places.

[Genet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very wanted to like this book because it is about the town where I live by a local author. But I couldn't do it.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good read for Portlanders.

[Jason Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quirky but fun read. Love the writing prompts that inspire the stories.