Stories in Stone

Stone Robert B.. Bear and His Daughter: Stories. New York: Houghton Mifflin Co, 5/1/1997 0:00:00.
Used hardcover in excellent condition; clean and unmarked inside and out. Dustjacket wrapped in new mylar to prevent further shelfwear. ; 0.8 x 5.8 x 8.5; 222 pages; Amazon.comThe stories in Robert Stone's first collection, Bear and His Daughter were written over the course of 30 years and cover a variety of topics from abortion to drug dealing. In "Miserere, " Mary Urquhart, a widow who lost her own children in a terrible accident, now assuages her guilt by taking responsibility for the souls of the unborn. In "Under the Pitons, " the reluctant Blessington finds himself caught up in the grim aftermath of a drug-running scheme, while in "Porque No Tiene, Porque Le Falta" a hike up the side of a Mexican volcano brings about eruptions in the personal lives of ex-patriot Fletch and his companions. Most of the characters in Stone's stories are male, most of them have no first names. The writing is spare, the motivations and emotions are telegraphed. Everyone in this collection has been wounded by life, and anger is their shield against further pain. Stone is well-known for uncompromising prose on subjects as divergent as Vietnam and Hollywood. In Bear and His Daughter, he continues his exploration of the dark recesses of the human soul.. 0395636523.

Hardcover, Very Good in Very Good dust jacket; Minor shelfwear.

[SW: Robert B. Stone Bear And His Daughter:stories,]

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Westlake, Donald E. Why Me - A Novel, New York The Viking Press 1983
ISBN: 0-670-76569-4 Near Fine in Fine Dust Jacket Dust Jacket Design By R. Adelson; Dust Jacket Art By Bob Shein;

xii, 192pp. White quarter-cloth, dark gray paper boards, gilt spine lettering, cream endpapers. Dust jacket price 13.50. SIGNED BY AUTHOR to half-title page. Prolific American writer, master of caper-comedies and hard-boiled crime stories. Westlake has also written under the pseudonyms Curt Clark, Tucker Coe, Timothy J. Culver, Samuel Holt, and Richard Stark. Westlake's career has spanned over 40 years. Chance plays a big role in Westlake's world, already in his early fiction, but more especially in his comedy crime novels. Life is unpredictable but Westlake's characters believe they can control it. They take calculated risks and are in trouble when something completely unpredictable happens. Parker, a cold-blooded, ruthless thief, is one of the author's [writing as Richard Stark] most famous characters. Parker is true only to his own code of right and wrong in the world of crime. If he is betrayed he is ready to do anything to have his money back - revenge being perhaps the only reason for his existence. In Mitch Tobin, an ex-New York City cop, Westlake [writing as Tucker Coe] created a disillusioned, guilt-ridden hero, who gradually finds his way back to normal life from his building project, a concrete wall around his backyard. The non-violent John Archibald Dortmunder and his fairy-tale world of slapstick crooks became a kind of opposite to the cold and serious Parker. Dortmunder works with a bumbling band of good-natured thieves: Andy Kelp, a car thief and an eternal optimist, Stan Murch, a getaway driver, and Tiny Bulcher. Most of these stories deal with the planning and executing of a complex feat. Although his plans are ingenious, they go wrong because of unforeseen coincidences. Dortmunder has not heard of the 'Chaos Theory' - a tiny change can have a huge effect in a chaotic system Westlake has won numerous awards, including three Edgars, and he has been made a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. In 1997 he received a lifetime achievement award from the Boucheron committee. His screenplay for The Grifters from Jim Thompson's novel received an Oscar nomination. Although Westlake's books have been popular in Hollywood and he has worked as a screenwriter, he has been faithful to his native city. New York City is his favorite base, and in his stories Westlake has depicted its people, life, streets, bars, and famous buildings and institutions with affection, expertise, and irony. Fifth Dortmunder novel. Basis for the 1990 film with screenplay written by Westlake, directed by Gene Quintano, starring Christopher Lambert, Kim Greist, Christopher Lloyd, J.T. Walsh. "This book will delight anyone who finds the "value-added" features of telephones (such as call waiting, call forwarding, caller ID, and answering machines) to be annoying. John Dortmunder does, too, especially after his friend, Andy Kelp, becomes addicted to all of these features. John Dortmunder is your basic everyday, unlucky, but hard-working burglar. In ' Why Me', he spots a sign on Skoukakis Credit Jewelers in South Ozone Park in Queens that the owner is away on vacation. Noting that the door's alarm box is an easy one to by-pass, he plans a late night return trip. While alarms ring in the distance, he's started when a car pulls up in front, and someone climbs out. He dives behind a display counter just before someone opens the door. The entrant is followed by more men, and they all talk in a foreign language. The safe door is opened and closed. Eventually, they leave. With good fortune, he finds that the safe is also an easy one to handle. Soon, he has it open, and starts removing the contents. He took some diamond bracelets, a few sets of earrings, an assortment of jeweled brooches, and a few rings. He notices a single box with a ring set with a suspiciously large red stone. "Now why would any jeweler pub a fake stone like this in his safe?" He decides to take it along, and let a fence tell him if it's valuable. That turns out to be an enormous mistake. The stone is actually a historically important one, the Byzantine Fire, which has just been stolen by a band of Greeks from its courier who is taking it to be returned to the Turkish government. The rest of the story involves the consequences of this unwitting heist. The heat is really on, and only Andy Kelp and his girl friend May are on Dortmunder's side as he tries to avoid the consequences of being the object of an international manhunt. Dortmunder quickly gives up on the notion of trying to make any money from the gem. After all, every fence in New York is being watched and no one would buy it. He decides to give it back, but the police won't cooperate. They want his head on the wall. Now, how will Dortmunder get out of this one? That's the mystery of this story. In typical fashion for a Dortmunder story, there's enormous humor about the stupidity of life . . . and an ironical twist to almost every situation. As with most stories in the series, there's a scene where barflies mangle words, quotes and ideas in very original and hilarious fashion. This story is about as simple as the Dortmunder stories get, but it is all the more appealing for its intensification of the overhanging problem of how you get out from between a rock and a hard place. After you finish this story, think about some time when you were faced with a seemingly impossible situation. How did you find a solution? How can that solution help you with other difficult situations in the future?" - Donald Mitchell. Other than previous owner's signature and embossed stamp to endpaper the book is in Fine, unblemished, unread condition [hint of age-toning to cloth top edge]. Dust jacket is bright, crisp and fully intact. No remainder markings. Quite scarce in this condition, especially signed. Signed by Author First Edition Fine Hard Cover 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall

[SW: DORTMUNDER JOHN FICTITIOUS CHARACTER FICTION]

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Stone, Robert. BEAR AND HIS DAUGHTER: STORIES. New York City, NY: Houghton Mifflin, 1997.
Hardcover. First Edition. First Printing. 222 pages. Fine in Fine Dust Jacket. The author's debut collection of short stories. One of the most important literary events of the year 1997. The true First Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other editions. Written over the last 30 years, the seven stories cover a variety of subject matter, from abortion to drug dealing. In "Miserere", a widow who lost her own children in a terrible accident, now assuages her guilt by taking responsibility for the souls of the unborn. In "Under the Pitons", the reluctant protagonist finds himself caught up in the grim aftermath of a drug-running scheme while in "Porque No Tiene, Porque Le Falta", a hike up the side of a Mexican volcano brings about eruptions in the personal lives of the climbers. The writing is spare, the motivations and emotions are telegraphed. Everyone in this collection has been wounded by life and anger is their shield against pain. Stone is well-known for uncompromising prose on subjects as divergent as Vietnam and Hollywood. In his first short story collection, he continues his exploration of the dark recesses of the human soul. "Stone turns the scraps and figments of style that we call characters into real people" (James Wood, the New York Times Book Review) . A stunning collection. A "must-have" title for Robert Stone collectors. <b><i> This copy is very prominently and beautifully signed in black marker on the title page by Robert Stone. This title is no longer in print as a hardcover. Many copies of the book have major publisher's flaws. This copy is in fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. A scarce signed copy thus. </b></i> Winner of the National Book Award in 1974 for "Dog Soldiers". One of the finest living American writers. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER ROBERT STONE TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). ISBN 0395636523. Signed by Author.

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Laurence, Margaret: Grouping: "The Stone Angel" ...with "The Tomorrow-Tamer and Other Stories" ....with "The Fire-Dwellers" ....with "This Side Jordan" .....4 Uniform Volumes of the "New Canadian Library Series" #'s N-59, N-70, N-87, N-126, Toronto McClelland & Stewart
Very Good Plus

....4 volumes of the "New Canadian Library Series". All 4 are in VG+ condition or better, all have former owners names, all 4 are square clean and tight. "The Stone Angel" # N-59, 1968, 7th reprint, readers crease, minor edge wear. "The Tomorrow-Tamer" and Other Stories" # N-70, 1970, 6th reprint, flat spine with tiny crease. Contents include: The Drummer of All the World / The Perfume Sea / The Merchant of Heaven / The Tomorrow-Tamer / The Rain Child / Godman's Master / A Fetish for Love / The Pure Diamond Man / The Voices of Adamo / A Gourdful of Glory. "The Fire-Dwellers" # N-87, 1973, 7th reprint, flat uncreased spine, in VG++ condition. "This Side Jordan" # N-126, 1976, 2nd reprint, flat uncresed spine, in VG++ condition. Any image directly beside this listing is the actual book and not a stock photo! Reprints with Various Dates Soft Cover

[SW: ....4 volumes of the "New Canadian Library Series". All 4 are in VG+ condition or better, all have former owners names, all 4 are square clean and tight. "The Stone Angel" # N-59, 1968, 7th reprint, readers crease, minor edge wear. "The Tomorrow-Tamer" and Other Stories" # N-70, 1970, 6th reprint, flat spine with tiny crease. Contents include: The Drummer of All the World / The Perfume Sea / The Merchant of Heaven / The Tomorrow-Tamer / The Rain Child / Godman's Master / A Fetish for Love / The Pure Diamond Man / The Voices of Adamo / A Gourdful of Glory. "The Fire-Dwellers" # N-87, 1973, 7th reprint, flat uncreased spine, in VG++ condition. "This Side Jordan" # N-126, 1976, 2nd reprint, flat uncresed spine, in VG++ condition. Any image directly beside this listing is the actual book and not a stock photo!]

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