The Pugilist at Rest

The stories in this collection are amazing -- visual, visceral and emotional. The stories about time in Vietnam ("The Pugilist at Rest" and "Break on Through"), and "I Want to Live!", about a man's dying mother-in-law, are particularly moving. I highly recommend this book -- very powerful for a first time collection. I wish we'd see more from Mr. Jones -- his other short story collections are also worthwhile.

I last read this book 11 years ago when it came out in its first edition, and I still remember each story with such clarity it's like I just finished reading it this morning. That's nothing to do with my (atrocious) memory, but with the power and clarity of Jones' writing. I liken Thom Jones to a literary Tom Waits.

I generally don't post reviews on here, but seeing Thom Jones called 'tacky' is just too much for my sensitive mind to bear. There is nothing 'tacky' about this guy, and there's certainly nothing tacky about his stories. They're remarkable -- plot, prose, philosophy, sentiment... all are beyond reproach. He's simply the best living short story writer, period. Probably one of the best ever (it's all subjective, ain't it?)... Read Full Review

I beg to differ with the reader from New York/Arizona. I can't imagine a more compelling, realistic world than that which Thom Jones creates for his characters to inhabit. "I Want to Live" is easily the best short-story I've read during the past decade, and among the very best of the century. (It was, in fact, chosen for inclusion in the Best American Short Stories of the Century.) There's not a false word in this collection,... Read Full Review

I write this review with perhaps a unique perspective: that of having read all three of Jones' published short story collections first. I gave "Cold Snap" and "Sonny Liston" three and five stars, respectively. I have not read three books by one author consecutively since -- and I know it's becoming a cliche', now -- E. Hemingway, F. Fitzgerald and F. Dostoyevski. Even James Joyce required a break after two consecutives... Read Full Review