The Pugilist at Rest: Stories

by Thom Jones

Overview

Thom Jones made his literary debut in The New Yorker in 1991. Within six months his stories appeared in Harper's, Esquire, Mirabella, Story, Buzz, and in The New Yorker twice more. "The Pugilist at Rest" - the title story from this stunning collection - took first place in Prize Stories 1993: The O. Henry Awards and was selected for inclusion in Best American Short Stories 1992. He is a writer of astonishing talent. Jones's stories - whether set in the combat zones of Vietnam or the brittle social and intellectual milieu of an elite New England college, whether recounting the poignant last battles of an alcoholic ex-fighter or the hallucinatory visions of an American wandering lost in Bombay in the aftermath of an epileptic fugue - are fueled by an almost brutal vision of the human condition, in a world without mercy or redemption. Physically battered, soul-sick, and morally exhausted, Jones's characters are yet unable to concede defeat: his stories are infused with the improbable grace of the spirit that ought to collapse, but cannot. For in these extraordinary pieces of fiction, it is not goodness that finally redeems us, but the heart's illogical resilience, and the ennobling tenacity with which we cling to each other and to our lives. The publication of The Pugilist at Rest is a major literary event, heralding the arrival of an electrifying new voice in American fiction, and a writer of magnificent depth and range. With these eleven stories, Thom Jones takes his place among the ranks of this country's most important authors.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316438636
Publisher:	Little, Brown and Company
Publication date:	11/08/2016
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	364,904
File size:	1 MB

Editorial Reviews

Jones's gritty and poetic debut short-story collection was selected by PW as one of the best books of 1993. (May)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Jones, a former marine and amateur boxer, recently published short stories in The New Yorker and Harper's . The themes dominating his first collection are violence, adultery, alcoholism, epilepsy, and madness. The sheer visceral intensity of Jones's prose is amplified by the sensitivity with which his characters are drawn: a soldier in Vietnam recognizes his capacity for violence in an ancient Roman statue; an abusive womanizer reacts with instinctive viciousness when he falls in love; a janitor attempts to lure a slow student from a potentially disastrous relationship; a dying woman finds solace in the pessimistic philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer. Jones's gritty yet refined prose stands in sharp contrast to the more apologetic work of National Book Award winner Tim O'Brien ( Going After Cacciato , LJ 12/15/77; The Things They Carried , LJ 2/15/90), with whom critical comparison is inevitable. This outstanding collection is sure to be in demand in public libraries.-- Mark Annichiarico, ``Library Journal''

Library Journal

These roughly sequential stories begin in Vietnam, where Jones demonstrates a nice ability to interweave grueling combat scenes with surreal discussions of Archie, Veronica, and Jughead. "Break on Through" is the heartbreaking tale of a man who can function only in combat; when he is sent home he barricades himself in his house and kills both his wife and himself. "The Black Lights" is about a marine who goes 'round the bend after losing a boxing match. When his psychiatrist requires him to keep a journal, he decides to prove how normal he is, so he writes: "A good day. Read. Played volleyball and had a good time smoking with the brothers. Picked up a lot of insight in group. Favorite breakfast: shit on a shingle. Two hundred push-ups. Happy, happy, happy!" Later, Jones' soldier persona becomes a surgeon who is devoted to treating the homeless but who wrecks the home of his brother; another time, he's a pickup artist whose attitude toward sexual encounters is so shrewd and self-mocking that it seems odd he even bothers. Jones' manic characters find a brief comfort in action, whether it's combat, boxing, or deep-sea diving; burdened with high sensitivity and intelligence, they find ordinary routines to be insane. Jones is funny, affecting, and never sounds a false note.

John Mort