A Good Fall - Hardcover

Jin, Ha

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0307378683 ISBN 13: 9780307378682

Publisher: Pantheon Books, 2009

Synopsis

An anthology by the National Book Award-winning author of The Bridegroom contains intricately detailed pieces illuminating the experiences of Chinese immigrants in America, from a lonely composer who takes comfort in a parakeet's song to a group of children who want to change their names.

About this title

Review:

“His best work so far. . . . Comparable to the best of Malamud and Singer.” —"Kansas City Star"
 
“Captivating. . . . Ha Jin captures a new, growing slice of America. . . . The storyteller’s art is richly on display here. Ha Jin has a singular talent for snaring a reader. His premises are gripping, his emotional bedrock hard and true.” —"The Washington Post"
“Engaging, . . . . Funny and tender at the same time. . . . The stories in this collection deal with what all good stories deal with: love, death, freedom and hope.” —"The Dallas Morning News"
 
“Quiet, careful, restrained prose—prose whose absence of flourish can, at times, make it all the more eloquent.” —"The" "New York Times Book Review"
“Skillful and deeply felt. . . . The collection as a whole celebrate[s] immigrant resilience: the courage to embrace calamity, hit the pavement and keep walking toward a br

"His best work so far. . . . Comparable to the best of Malamud and Singer." --"Kansas City Star"
"Captivating. . . . Ha Jin captures a new, growing slice of America. . . . The storyteller's art is richly on display here. Ha Jin has a singular talent for snaring a reader. His premises are gripping, his emotional bedrock hard and true." --"The Washington Post"
"Engaging, . . . . Funny and tender at the same time. . . . The stories in this collection deal with what all good stories deal with: love, death, freedom and hope." --"The Dallas Morning News"
"Quiet, careful, restrained prose--prose whose absence of flourish can, at times, make it all the more eloquent." --"The""New York Times Book Review"
"Skillful and deeply felt. . . . The collection as a whole celebrate[s] immigrant resilience: the courage to embrace calamity, hit the pavement and keep walking toward a brighter future." --"The Los Angeles Times"
"Ha Jin's masterful storytelling persists--meticulous, droll, convincing, populated with memorable characters--not to mention the indelible portrait of an immigrant life he gives us." --"San Francisco Chronicle"
"[Jin] writes with warmth and humor about what it means to be a bewildered stranger in a strange land, no matter where one is born." --"People" Magazine
"Engrossing, visceral. . . . All [stories] come across with the straightforward declarative immediacy of a videotaped interview or testimonial. . . . [An] illuminating, well-integrated collection." --"The Christian Science Monitor"
"[A] fine collection. . . . Jin is a master of the straightforward line . . . . [and] a significant American writer. . . . As in Chekhov's late work, his writing covers a lot of ground quickly." --"The New Republic"
"A collection of sublime moments. . . . With moments of stark insight. . . . A message worth hearing." --"The Denver Post"
"Every story . . . offer[s] evocative snapshots of the lives of contemporary first-generation Chinese immigrants. . . . [They] will take up quiet residence in your consciousness, shining a light into lives that too often go unseen." --"The Boston Globe"
"Ha Jin continues his intimate, up-close look at Chinese immigrant life. . . . All [are] artfully turned out in Jin's quietly seismic style." --"Elle"
"Included are the rich imagery, attention to detail, and wry humor that are Jin's stock in trade and that, when taken together, offer--as fellow writer Francine Prose has noted--'a compelling exploration of the . . . terrain that is the human heart.'" --"Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star"
"Jin's carefully constructed worlds offer the reader so much pleasure." --"Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"
"[Jin's] unvarnished prose adds a no-nonsense charm to the stories. . . . He just leans on simple phrasing that could come out of Sherwood Anderson or Ernest Hemingway. . . . Jin's approach is the more honest one, and the one more likely to endure." --"Chicago Sun-Times"
"Ha Jin's new book of stories rises way above the ordinary or merely good. . . . The embarrassments and jokes and adulteries and frustrations of these characters in their little prosaic spaces convey the sense of how each human being is like and unlike all others." --"New York Post"
"This may be Ha Jin's best work yet, his stories often ascending to the mystical penumbra we expect of singer, Malamud, or O'Connor. . . . Ha Jin is equally good as a novelist and a short story writer. . . . Stories still allow him to get to the heart of the matter in a more piercing manner." --"The Huffington Post"
"Jin writes with a twinkle in his eye." --"Cleveland Plain Dealer"
"The understated clashes of culture [in "A Good Fall"] reveal careful thematic design and provide an almost 360-degree view of this select human experience: The concerns of people everywhere trying to make a better life come alive, one deceptively simple story at a time." --"The Miami Herald"
"[Jin's] work is shot through with a sense of isolation, melancholy and sacrifice: what it means--and costs--to be different. . . . There is a seriousness present. . . . And there is occasional humor or at least irony." --"The Seattle Times"

His best work so far. . . . Comparable to the best of Malamud and Singer. "Kansas City Star"
Captivating. . . . Ha Jin captures a new, growing slice of America. . . . The storyteller s art is richly on display here. Ha Jin has a singular talent for snaring a reader. His premises are gripping, his emotional bedrock hard and true. "The Washington Post"
Engaging, . . . . Funny and tender at the same time. . . . The stories in this collection deal with what all good stories deal with: love, death, freedom and hope. "The Dallas Morning News"
Quiet, careful, restrained prose prose whose absence of flourish can, at times, make it all the more eloquent. "The" "New York Times Book Review"
Skillful and deeply felt. . . . The collection as a whole celebrate[s] immigrant resilience: the courage to embrace calamity, hit the pavement and keep walking toward a brighter future. "The Los Angeles Times"
Ha Jin's masterful storytelling persists meticulous, droll, convincing, populated with memorable characters not to mention the indelible portrait of an immigrant life he gives us. "San Francisco Chronicle"
[Jin] writes with warmth and humor about what it means to be a bewildered stranger in a strange land, no matter where one is born. "People" Magazine
Engrossing, visceral. . . . All [stories] come across with the straightforward declarative immediacy of a videotaped interview or testimonial. . . . [An] illuminating, well-integrated collection. "The Christian Science Monitor"
[A] fine collection. . . . Jin is a master of the straightforward line . . . . [and] a significant American writer. . . . As in Chekhov's late work, his writing covers a lot of ground quickly. "The New Republic"
A collection of sublime moments. . . . With moments of stark insight. . . . A message worth hearing. "The Denver Post"
Every story . . . offer[s] evocative snapshots of the lives of contemporary first-generation Chinese immigrants. . . . [They] will take up quiet residence in your consciousness, shining a light into lives that too often go unseen. "The Boston Globe"
Ha Jin continues his intimate, up-close look at Chinese immigrant life. . . . All [are] artfully turned out in Jin s quietly seismic style. "Elle"
Included are the rich imagery, attention to detail, and wry humor that are Jin s stock in trade and that, when taken together, offer as fellow writer Francine Prose has noted a compelling exploration of the . . . terrain that is the human heart. "Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star"
Jin s carefully constructed worlds offer the reader so much pleasure. "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"
[Jin s] unvarnished prose adds a no-nonsense charm to the stories. . . . He just leans on simple phrasing that could come out of Sherwood Anderson or Ernest Hemingway. . . . Jin s approach is the more honest one, and the one more likely to endure. "Chicago Sun-Times"
Ha Jin s new book of stories rises way above the ordinary or merely good. . . . The embarrassments and jokes and adulteries and frustrations of these characters in their little prosaic spaces convey the sense of how each human being is like and unlike all others. "New York Post"
This may be Ha Jin s best work yet, his stories often ascending to the mystical penumbra we expect of singer, Malamud, or O Connor. . . . Ha Jin is equally good as a novelist and a short story writer. . . . Stories still allow him to get to the heart of the matter in a more piercing manner. "The Huffington Post"
Jin writes with a twinkle in his eye. "Cleveland Plain Dealer"
The understated clashes of culture [in "A Good Fall"] reveal careful thematic design and provide an almost 360-degree view of this select human experience: The concerns of people everywhere trying to make a better life come alive, one deceptively simple story at a time. "The Miami Herald"
[Jin s] work is shot through with a sense of isolation, melancholy and sacrifice: what it means and costs to be different. . . . There is a seriousness present. . . . And there is occasional humor or at least irony. "The Seattle Times""

"His best work so far. . . . Comparable to the best of Malamud and Singer." --Kansas City Star

"Captivating. . . . Ha Jin captures a new, growing slice of America. . . . The storyteller's art is richly on display here. Ha Jin has a singular talent for snaring a reader. His premises are gripping, his emotional bedrock hard and true." --The Washington Post

"Engaging, . . . . Funny and tender at the same time. . . . The stories in this collection deal with what all good stories deal with: love, death, freedom and hope." --The Dallas Morning News

"Quiet, careful, restrained prose--prose whose absence of flourish can, at times, make it all the more eloquent." --The New York Times Book Review

"Skillful and deeply felt. . . . The collection as a whole celebrate[s] immigrant resilience: the courage to embrace calamity, hit the pavement and keep walking toward a brighter future." --The Los Angeles Times

"Ha Jin's masterful storytelling persists--meticulous, droll, convincing, populated with memorable characters--not to mention the indelible portrait of an immigrant life he gives us." --San Francisco Chronicle

"[Jin] writes with warmth and humor about what it means to be a bewildered stranger in a strange land, no matter where one is born." --People Magazine

"Engrossing, visceral. . . . All [stories] come across with the straightforward declarative immediacy of a videotaped interview or testimonial. . . . [An] illuminating, well-integrated collection." --The Christian Science Monitor

"[A] fine collection. . . . Jin is a master of the straightforward line . . . . [and] a significant American writer. . . . As in Chekhov's late work, his writing covers a lot of ground quickly." --The New Republic

"A collection of sublime moments. . . . With moments of stark insight. . . . A message worth hearing." --The Denver Post

"Every story . . . offer[s] evocative snapshots of the lives of contemporary first-generation Chinese immigrants. . . . [They] will take up quiet residence in your consciousness, shining a light into lives that too often go unseen." --The Boston Globe

"Ha Jin continues his intimate, up-close look at Chinese immigrant life. . . . All [are] artfully turned out in Jin's quietly seismic style." --Elle

"Included are the rich imagery, attention to detail, and wry humor that are Jin's stock in trade and that, when taken together, offer--as fellow writer Francine Prose has noted--'a compelling exploration of the . . . terrain that is the human heart.'" --Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star

"Jin's carefully constructed worlds offer the reader so much pleasure." --Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"[Jin's] unvarnished prose adds a no-nonsense charm to the stories. . . . He just leans on simple phrasing that could come out of Sherwood Anderson or Ernest Hemingway. . . . Jin's approach is the more honest one, and the one more likely to endure." --Chicago Sun-Times

"Ha Jin's new book of stories rises way above the ordinary or merely good. . . . The embarrassments and jokes and adulteries and frustrations of these characters in their little prosaic spaces convey the sense of how each human being is like and unlike all others." --New York Post

"This may be Ha Jin's best work yet, his stories often ascending to the mystical penumbra we expect of singer, Malamud, or O'Connor. . . . Ha Jin is equally good as a novelist and a short story writer. . . . Stories still allow him to get to the heart of the matter in a more piercing manner." --The Huffington Post

"Jin writes with a twinkle in his eye." --Cleveland Plain Dealer

"The understated clashes of culture [in A Good Fall] reveal careful thematic design and provide an almost 360-degree view of this select human experience: The concerns of people everywhere trying to make a better life come alive, one deceptively simple story at a time." --The Miami Herald

"[Jin's] work is shot through with a sense of isolation, melancholy and sacrifice: what it means--and costs--to be different. . . . There is a seriousness present. . . . And there is occasional humor or at least irony." --The Seattle Times

About the Author:

HA JIN left his native China in 1985 to attend Brandeis University. He is the author of five novels, three story collections, and three books of poetry. He has received the National Book Award, two PEN/Faulkner Awards, the PEN/Hemingway Award, the Asian American Literary Award, and the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction. Ha Jin lives in the Boston area and is a professor of English at Boston University.

About this edition

• Publisher: Pantheon Books
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0307378683
• ISBN 13: 9780307378682
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240