The Clearing - Softcover
Before the First World War, Byron Aldridge led a charmed life as heir apparent to a Pennsylvania timber empire, but he returned from France a different man. He ends up working as a company policeman in a backwoods Louisiana sawmill, where violence seems the only way to keep control.
Here, amid the cypress swamps and alligators, his younger brother Randolph assumes charge of the mill and tries to rescue his former idol. As the brothers struggle to understand each other and their wives contend with their own hopes and fears, it is Randolph who starts a feud with the Sicilians who control the whisky and girls, and the future grows fearsome for them all.
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'Near-perfect ... untouchably good' Alan Warner, Daily Telegraph
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When Byron Aldridge, irrevocably traumatised from fighting in the Great War, flees his comfortable Pennsylvania life for a remote Louisiana sawmill, his brother Randolph immediately follows. But here, surrounded by cypress swamps and alligators, men lead lives of backbreaking toil relieved only by the whiskey, card games and girls offered by the local mafia. As the brothers struggle to understand each other and their wives contend with their own hopes and disappointments, the future begins to grow fearsome for them all.
'An extraordinary novel, one of the best I've read in years' Annie Proulx, Guardian
'The relationship between the two brothers is sensitively and brilliantly drawn; the strength of the women in the book, which is at odds with the harsh physicality of a land governed by violence, is deftly depicted ... The Clearing carries an emotional charge far beyond its pages and does what all great fiction does: gives insights allowing us to understand human nature and a distant time and place. I cannot recommend it highly enough.' Peter Straus, Literary Review
'This is a novel so firmly located and vividly realised that you can almost smell the Louisiana swampwater as you read ... a gripping, action-packed tale, but also a notably intelligent one, its powerful narrative drive counterbalanced and controlled by a meticulous attention to detail and a traditionalist's concern for depth and density.' Jem Poster, Guardian
'Compels you forward like a handcar on a downhill slope, until the final escape ... you read it in wonder.' Kent Haruf
'[An] excellent novel' John de Falbe, Spectator
'Damn fine ... a remarkable contribution to our sense of a land past and instincts remaining.' Ruth Hedges, List
'A marvelous evocation of time and place merges seamlessly with Gautreaux's powerful and timeless story.' William Gay
The paperback debut of a highly praised novel that is as atmospheric as MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL and as powerful as Faulkner
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- PublisherSceptre
- Publication date2004
- ISBN 10 0340833181
- ISBN 13 9780340833186
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages384
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Book Description paperback. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Seller Inventory # S_385125795
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The Clearing
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Hodder & Stoughton
(2004)
ISBN 10: 0340833181
ISBN 13: 9780340833186
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Book Description Condition: Good. Ships from the UK. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # GRP104739198
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Book Description Condition: Como nuevo. Before the First World War, Byron Aldridge led a charmed life as heir apparent to a Pennsylvania timber empire, but he returned from France a different man. He ends up working as a company policeman in a backwoods Louisiana sawmill, where violence seems the only way to keep control.Here, amid the cypress swamps and alligators, his younger brother Randolph assumes charge of the mill and tries to rescue his former idol. As the brothers struggle to understand each other and their wives contend with their own hopes and fears, it is Randolph who starts a feud with the Sicilians who control the whisky and girls, and the future grows fearsome for them all. EAN: 9780340833186 Tipo: Libros Categoría: Literatura y ficción| Ficción contemporánea Título: ClearingAutor: Tim Gautreaux Editorial: Sceptre (7 junio 2004) Idioma: EN Páginas: 384 Formato: Tapa blanda Peso: 202 Año de publicación: 2004. Seller Inventory # Happ-2022-07-19-e23428b8
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The Clearing
Published by
Hodder and Stoughton, UK
(2003)
ISBN 10: 0340833181
ISBN 13: 9780340833186
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Reprint. Paperback. 374 pages. *** PUBLISHING DETAILS: Hodder and Stoughton, UK, 2003. Reprint. *** CONDITION: This book is in very good condition. More specifically: Covers have no creasing. Corners of covers are lightly bumped. Spine has minor lean and minimal reading creases. . Pages are clean and unmarked and in excellent condition. *** ABOUT THIS BOOK: Before the Great War, Byron Aldridge had led a charmed life as heir apparent to a Pennsylvania timber empire, and as guide and idol to his younger brother. But he returned from France a different man, drifting away and finally disappearing altogether, until he is discovered working as a constable in a remote Louisiana sawmill. Here, surrounded by cypress swamps and snakes and alligators, men lead lives of backbreaking toil punctuated only by the brutal entertainments offered by the Sicilians who control the whiskey and card games and girls, and by the rough law meted out by Byron. His brother, assuming charge of the mill, struggles to understand him, even as their wives contend with their own hopes and disappointments, and the future grows fearsome for them all. "The Clearing" is a story of family, of what sustains people through loss, of establishing a community in the deepest wilderness and then defending it. Palpably atmospheric, with a remarkable range of characters and emotions, it displays Tim Gautreaux's masterly understanding of time, place, and human nature. *** Quantity Available: 1. Category: Fiction; General; ISBN: 0340833181. ISBN/EAN: 9780340833186. Inventory No: 16070577. The photo of this book is of the actual book for sale. Seller Inventory # 16070577
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Good. The story of a murderous battle for control, and a wise, compassionate investigation into the bonds of love and family and of what sustains people through loss. 373 pages. Seller Inventory # 1452332
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