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Paradise Road
Winner of the 2007 Drue Heinz Literature PrizeThe stories in Kirk Nesset's Paradise Road vividly examine the various pitfalls, both physical and emotional, we encounter and suffer trying to find lasting meaning in love. Stark and unsentimental, they feature the chiaroscuro of particular worlds and particular lives, infused with the yearning and muted desperation that comes after passion has bent us, burned us, and cast us aside. ";Nothing comes and goes without a trace,"; muses the narrator of ";The Prince of Perch Fishing,"; the collection's opening tale. ";In this world there are consequences for everything."; Such stories speak to the fleeting yet monumental moments of our lives, which catch us off guard, unveiling and unsettling us, each leaving its indelible mark. The stories also offer paths, paved or unpaved, leading out of the ashes, out of the wilds of upheaval and betrayal and pain. Story by story, Pa
152 pages, Hardcover
First published September 15, 2007
20 people want to read
About the author
Kirk Nesset
7 books22 followersKirk Nesset is author of two books of short stories, Paradise Road and Mr. Agreeable, as well as a book of poems, Saint X, a book of translations, Alphabet of the World, and a nonfiction study, The Stories of Raymond Carver. His new work in translation is forthcoming: Disappearances, Selected Stories by Edmundo Paz Soldan. Nesset's stories, poems, translations and essays have appeared in The Paris Review, Ploughshares, The Kenyon Review, The Southern Review, American Poetry Review, Gettysburg Review, New England Review, Iowa Review, Agni, Crazyhorse, The Sun, Fiction, Witness and Prairie Schooner, among others. His short short fictions have been widely anthologized, appearing in W. W. Norton's New Sudden Fiction, Flash Fiction Forward, Sudden Fiction Latino, and elsewhere.
He grew up in northern California and studied at UC Santa Cruz and UC Santa Barbara, as well as abroad. He has taught at Whittier College, Allegheny College and the University of California, and served many summers as writer in residence at Black Forest Writing Seminars (Freiburg, Germany).
He grew up in northern California and studied at UC Santa Cruz and UC Santa Barbara, as well as abroad. He has taught at Whittier College, Allegheny College and the University of California, and served many summers as writer in residence at Black Forest Writing Seminars (Freiburg, Germany).
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 14, 2026
Paradise Road is one of those short story collections that lingers in the mind long after you’ve closed the book. Kirk Nesset writes with a kind of emotional clarity that feels both unflinching and deeply human. These stories explore love, loss, longing, and the quiet consequences of the choices people make in their lives.
What struck me most was the honesty of the characters. They feel real, flawed, searching, sometimes wounded by past passions or by the slow unraveling of relationships. Yet even in the darker or more unsettling moments, there is a sense of reflection and humanity that runs through the collection.
The opening story especially sets the tone for what follows: a reminder that nothing in life passes without leaving its mark. Many of the stories capture those fleeting yet defining moments when something shifts internally, when a person suddenly sees their life, their love, or their mistakes more clearly.
The writing itself is precise and evocative, never overly sentimental, but rich with atmosphere and emotional depth. Readers who enjoy literary fiction that explores the complexities of human relationships will likely find a lot to appreciate here.
A memorable and quietly moving collection that rewards thoughtful reading.
What struck me most was the honesty of the characters. They feel real, flawed, searching, sometimes wounded by past passions or by the slow unraveling of relationships. Yet even in the darker or more unsettling moments, there is a sense of reflection and humanity that runs through the collection.
The opening story especially sets the tone for what follows: a reminder that nothing in life passes without leaving its mark. Many of the stories capture those fleeting yet defining moments when something shifts internally, when a person suddenly sees their life, their love, or their mistakes more clearly.
The writing itself is precise and evocative, never overly sentimental, but rich with atmosphere and emotional depth. Readers who enjoy literary fiction that explores the complexities of human relationships will likely find a lot to appreciate here.
A memorable and quietly moving collection that rewards thoughtful reading.
June 4, 2010
Oh my gosh. What could I possibly add except to tell everyone here to be sure to read this collection of short stories and even micro fiction. Phenomenal. There isn't a story here I have read so far I do not or have not spent time closing my eyes to seeing the characters. Moving around as though alive, showing me California coasts, how to fish, how to remain friends. The stalker I compared to my own real ones; would trade any day for Nesset's though for a straight version ;-). I'm completely enjoying this collection and can only (as I am very tired right now) recommend it to all my chums here. Read away and you will enjoy every story.
January 25, 2009
Brings back memories of my childhood...
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews