Items related to They Came Like Swallows (Nonpareil Book, 48)
Synopsis
James and his two sons, Peter and Robert, must adjust to the death of the boys' mother
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Review
In the Morison house the important goes unsaid and indirection is the operative mode--conversation stops where it should start and key terms such as fear, pain and pregnancy fail to be addressed. The younger son, an eight-year-old, passes his days deciphering adults' inaccessible discussions. "In this fashion they communicated with each other, out of knowledge and experience inaccessible to Bunny. By nods and silences. By a tired curve of his mother's mouth. By his father's measuring glance over the top of his spectacles". Bunny's older brother would rather escape to the outside world, and their father finds declaiming the day's headlines--the end of World War I and the onslaught of Spanish Influenza--far preferable to engagement. Only Elizabeth, their mother, is capable of holding the family together. The fifth main character in They Came Like Swallows is the house itself. Maxwell expresses the boys' reactions through this labile, interior landscape. Bunny finds the dining room can be "braced and ready for excitement"; later his brother realises "for the first time how still the house was, how full of waiting ... tense and expectant". Though war never makes it to Illinois, the flu changes all. First Bunny is stricken, and once he recovers Elizabeth, pregnant, dies from it. In quiet, piercing prose, William Maxwell's second novel, originally published in 1937, evokes the greatest of losses and the terrors of imagination. --Amazon.com
Review
"A story of such engaging warmth that it would thaw the heart of any critic... will melt many a reader to tears."- Times
"A heart-warming tale, the book bears witness to William Maxwell's genuine artistry."- Christian Science Monitor
"Rare...exquisite...a cameo-like perfection."- The New York Herald Tribune
"A sensitive, wistful reminiscence... very delightful."- V.S. Pritchett
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherDavid R. Godine Publisher Inc
- Publication date1994
- ISBN 10 0879236779
- ISBN 13 9780879236779
- BindingPaperback
- LanguageEnglish
- Number of pages174
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They Came Like Swallows
Published by
Godine Publisher, David R., 1987
ISBN 10: 0879236779
ISBN 13: 9780879236779
Used
Softcover
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 1121044-6
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
They Came Like Swallows
Published by
Godine Publisher, David R., 1987
ISBN 10: 0879236779
ISBN 13: 9780879236779
Used
Softcover
Seller: Better World Books: West, Reno, NV, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 1121044-6
Quantity: 2 available
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They Came Like Swallows (Nonpareil Book, 48)
Seller: HPB-Emerald, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
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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_422353150
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They Came Like Swallows (Nonpareil Book)
Seller: Books From California, Simi Valley, CA, U.S.A.
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Paperback. Condition: Good. minor wear and creasing. Seller Inventory # mon0003479915
Quantity: 1 available
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They Came Like Swallows (Nonpareil Book, 48)
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
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Condition: Good. Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00076898904
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They Came Like Swallows
Published by
David R. Godine, Boston, MA, 1988
ISBN 10: 0879236779
ISBN 13: 9780879236779
Used
Soft cover
Seller: George Strange's Bookmart, Brandon, MB, Canada
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Soft cover. Condition: Fine. Maxwell, William THEY CAME LIKE SWALLOWS Boston, MA: David R. Godine 1988 FIRST PRINTING Fine 174pp. 8vo. Cover is very lightly age toned with some wear along the edges. Text is lightly age toned as well but otherwise clean and binding is strong. Overall book is in fine condition. Seller Inventory # 019303
Quantity: 1 available