The Drowned Son

by David Guterson

The "Bloomsbury Birthday Quids" are small editions of short stories by major writers, in a format and style of the "Bloomsbury Classics". Printed on high-quality paper, designed by Jeff Fisher, the books should become collectors' items. This title is "The Drowned Son" by David Guterson.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

51 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

David Guterson is an American novelist.

Reviews

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a massive fan of short stories

[Chris Bookley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ordinary.

[Tristan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick 20 minute read. Kinda hurts to think about losing a child—not that I have any yet—but the guilt and pain and blame among loss is hard to justify or even identify. Only until you sit with it, then it feels as if you knew it all along. That feeling of love has no place to go and the scales of one’s emotions are thrown off-balance, throwing the rest of you off with it. The only way to find balance again is to ask others to help carry the weight or offload some of it oneself. Either way, it’s a tough go at it.

[Lucy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Writing should do something for the reader - instruct, amuse, provoke thought - this short story did nothing for me apart from disinclining me to read anything else by the author.

[Mickey Bits · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short story that you can read on the commute. Pathos.

[LuAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a heart-wrenching story. You can feel every emotion the characters go through when the son dies -- from his parents to his sister to the captain of the fishing boat. A must read.