Ce que savent les saumons

by Elwood Reid, Freddy Michalski (Translator)

« Je veux savoir ce que savent les saumons quand ils remontent le courant à toute blinde, envers et contre tout pour mourir. » Craig saura-t-il un jour ce que savent les saumons ? Tout comme les autres personnages - ouvrier, contremaître, barman ou charpentier - qui peuplent les nouvelles tendres et violentes d'Elwood Reid, perceront-ils jamais le secret des choses ? Ce moment précis où il faut affronter le péril d'une mort plus subtile : celle d'un idéal, d'une conviction, d'un espoir. En Alaska ou ailleurs, ce rêve entêtant de liberté continue de les hanter, comme une brèche dans la dure réalité de leurs vies. Avec une puissance et une sincérité qui évoquent Raymond Carver, Elwood Reid explore un certain paysage américain et ses existences ordinaires.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published August 17, 1999

Reviews

[Mbreaden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost all of the stories in this collection amused and surprised me with the author's perspective of manly workingman-ness, but none of them really stood out to me except for "Happy Jack." As well-intentioned as the rest of the stories were, they all seemed to come from the same narrator who is not changed throughout the novel, for good or worse. However, Elwood Reid has spare writing style and a good ear for poetic syntax and I appreciated the lack of pretense.

[AD LAND · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done stories about blue-collar losers and almost-losers. Best read with time gaps between the stories as the same voice runs through them all.

[Kendall]

Found this collection of stories on the bargain table at the Book Review in Huntington- NY. The description on the back said Compared by critics to the work of Raymond Carver- Rick Bass- and Thom Jones- all authors I like. Nice collection- and nicely written. My biggest complaint- again- is that the endings- for the most part- elude me. I just don't get them. It's like someone hitting the stop button right in the middle of a song the way these stories end. Everything

[haunteddollhouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

Story collections are always a mixed bag, but I liked most of the stories presented in this collection. As other reviewers have pointed out, "Happy Jack" is a standout. I also really enjoyed "No Strings Attached."

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading short story collections are not my easy picks, for some reason. But these were all evenly good and terrifically satisfying. Gut laughs and all the rest made them all worthwhile.