The Way People Run: Stories

There are two movies I've seen that call to mind what Tilghman does so aptly: "Nobody's Fool" (in which Paul Newman plays a somewhat childish man who has no clue about how to age gracefully) and "Affliction" (in which Nick Nolte and James Coburn are locked in corrosive father-son dysfunctionality). The stories in this collection unflinchingly document the breakdowns in communication that occur between "loved ones" who find it difficult to love each other. The often bristling exchanges between two brothers in "Something Important" are but one example. Though the stories here a bit more ruminative and not as tightly written as the ones in "In a Father's Place," they still leave an enduring impression.

Christopher Tilghman has received praise as an heir to Hemingway and others writing in the American "masculine" vein. His prose is lean and sinewy, like the heavily muscled arms of an athlete, and the characters who attract his scrutiny are men involved in strained or failed relationships. As in his first volume, "In a Father's Place," his characters are also very often coming to terms with families and seeking an identity for themselves in the world at large. There is a great deal of searching going on in Tilghman's stories, and sometimes this involves travelling and simply going from one place to another (ie, "The Way People Run"). The restlessness and unsettled lives of many of his character translates into stories that are filled with movement--most of it meaningful and revelatory--but occasionally it seems forced and somewhat pointless. "A Suitable Good-bye" is one of these, in which Lee Nichols joins his mother on her mission to locate her father's grave. The only reason for the trip seems to be to bring these characters together. Other stories work better, and overall the collection is accomplished and emotionally resonant, the writing polished to a fine sheen. Even if this collection is not quite up to the standard Tilghman set for himself with his first, I'll be eagerly awaiting his next book.

Tilghman's IN A FATHER'S PLACE is one of my favorite story collections, and I found MASON'S RETREAT to be a truly magnificent novel. THE WAY PEOPLE RUN is a more than worthy addition to Tilghman's body of work and my bookshelf. Tilghman knows how to develop characters with depth and grace. While I found all of the stories engrossing, the final two pieces are masterpieces, fresh and strange and humane by turns. A high recommendation.

Tilghman's first book, In A Father's Place, was on of the best short story collections I had ever read. His second collection, The Way People Run, is just as powerful. Poignant and haunting, these five stories stick you. My favorite was the title story about an unemployed investment banker on the run across the badlands. In every story, Tilghman's language is poetic, spare, memorable. Tilghman is truly one of America's finest short story writers.