In the Bedroom: Seven Stories

Andre Dubus, better known for his full length novel 'House Of Sand And Fog' is a talented writer with the ability to capture the human condition. Even if you did not care for 'House Of Sand And Fog', you should not let it stop you from picking up this thin but sumptuous collection of shorts. These seven stories will leave you immersed in a sea of emotion: love, regret, loss, hatred, hopelessness, bitterness, and beauty. Even in the worst of moments, Dubus has a knack for capturing the beauty of passion and sentiment. 1 - Killings 2 - The Winter Father 3 - Rose 4 - The Fat Girl 5 - Delivering 6 - A Father's Story 7 - All The Time In The World My favorites were 'Killings', 'Rose', 'The Fat Girl', and 'A Father's Story'. The other stories were a bit dry or vague, but the four mentioned are as rich as chocolate cheesecake served with a mocha and whipped cream. 'Killings' is primarily a story of a father's loss, losing a son to a do-nothing killer who is set free on bail to continue his life as the father grieves. 'Rose' is a tale of a beaten-down woman's ultimate sacrifice for her children. 'The Fat Girl' tells of the difficulties of change, and of how we are always who we are in our hearts. 'A Father's Story' revisits parental sacrifice, but this time in the form of an ordinary, loving father. I believe this collection deserves more attention than it has been given. The good stories are truly well-written, beautiful pieces. 'In The Bedroom' is a collection that, no matter your genre of preference, you will be glad that you took the time to read. Enjoy!

Usually I shy away from short story collections, but a friend whose opinion I value highly recommended this book by the well-respected author, Andre Dubus. She was right. These 7 stories are masterful, displaying the quiet power within the decisions we make as we live through life's seemingly small moments. The award-winning movie titled In the Bedroom with Cissie Spacek was made from one of these stories.A bewitching and profound collection that should be on every serious reader's bookshelf.

The thing about this book that people have told me they didn't like was that it was what they found in the newspaper. It is very similar to the world that we live in. The people seem really enough to pop off the page and enter your life. Talk for instance the story The Killings, also the the basis for the moving In The Bedroom. That is something that has happenend in this strange world that we live in. And it is what this amazing author brings to a table. When I first read Dubus I was unsure of his brillance but after reading In The Bedroom, I will not question him again. It is remarkable how well he wrote and knew the people he was writing about. This book at times almost reads like memoirs. And at other times not so much like anything you have ever read before. Take a chance with a different type of writing.

It says something that a spare, tight little story like 'Killers' could be the basis for an entire critically-acclaimed movie (In the Bedroom, starring Sissy Spacek and other fine actors and actresses). But Dubus's writing is simply that powerful and that descriptive. If you haven't seen the movie, by the way, the title story focuses on a family whose son is murdered by his lover's ex, setting into motion a plan for revenge. I've rarely had the pleasure of reading a writer who is able to say so much in so few pages.