Middle Men
Language: English
Published by Simon & Schuster, 2013
- Hardcover
- Used
Seller: World of Books Inc, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.World of Books Inc
AbeBooks seller since March 23, 2026
Condition: Used - Good
£ 5.61
Quantity: 3 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
A powerful, funny, and wise debut from a writer Esquire praises as the second coming of Denis Johnson. In this widely acclaimed story collection, Jim Gavin delivers a hilarious and panoramic vision of California, in which a number of down-on-their-luck men, from young dreamers to old vets, make valiant forays into middle-class respectability. Each of the men in Gavin's stories is stuck somewhere in the middle, caught halfway between his dreams and the often crushing reality of his life. A work of profound humanity that pairs moments of high comedy with searing truths about life's missed opportunities, Middle Men brings to life unforgettable characters as they learn what it means to love and work and exist in the world as a man. Hailed as a modern-day Dubliners (Time Out ) and reminiscent of Tom Perotta's best work (The Boston Globe), this stellar debut has the Los Angeles Review of Books raving, Middle Men deserves its hype and demonstrates a top-shelf talent. . . . A brilliant sense of humor animates each story and creates a state of near-continuous reading pleasure.…
Seller Inventory # CIN1451649312G
- Title
- Middle Men
- Author
- Jim Gavin
- Publisher
- Simon & Schuster
- Publication year
- 2013
- Condition
- Good
- Binding
- Hardback
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 1451649312
- ISBN 13
- 9781451649314
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Review
"Jim Gavin's Middle Men is perfectly titled -- these are characters gloriously unaware of how adrift they are. Gnostic high school basketballers, romantic pursuers, open mic comedians -- I've rarely seen such a keen depiction of souls so out of focus. These stories -- especially "Elephant Doors" -- brought back some hilarious, uncomfortable memories for me. Immerse yourself! Immerse!"--Patton Oswalt "author of Zombie Spaceship Wasteland "
"Like the heroes of this stunning collection, Jim Gavin's stories negotiate and illuminate the gray, authentic middle, bridging the divide that exists between California's--and indeed, America's--golden mythology and her starker realities. There is deep truth, beauty, and humor to be found in this territory, and in Gavin we have found the ultimate emissary. This book is an absolute triumph of sympathy and revelation."--Skip Horack "author of The Eden Hunter and The Southern Cross "
"I love the wit and intelligence and rigor with which Jim Gavin renders characters who find themselves spiraling down the water column. Middle Men is peerless in its portraits of American males dimly coming to appreciate the disastrous convergence of their own fecklessness and feelings of entitlement with the increasingly unforgiving hard times bearing down on them, and on most of the rest of us as well."--Jim Shepard "author of You Think That's Bad and Liked You'd Understand, Anyway "
"Jim Gavin's stories are wise and funny and not at all afraid of the dark, or the light. Middle Men is a very powerful debut."--Sam Lipsyte "author of The Ask "
"With its sharply drawn characters, its humor and affection and melancholy, its deep wisdom of the ways we live and cope and endure, and its panoramic and precise vision of California, Middle Men is a phenomenal story collection, and Jim Gavin an extravagantly talented writer. I could not put this book down. Gavin brings the California and SoCal I know and love to the page with searing intelligence, beauty, and an emotive force, making Middle Men one of the finest and most unusual fictions I've read in years."--Victoria Patterson "author of Drift and This Vacant Paradise "
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
World of Books Inc
Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
AbeBooks seller since March 23, 2026
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Founded in 2002, World of Books is a leading online destination for buying and selling both preloved and new books, committed to making sustainable reading accessible to all. With a mission to help people read more and waste less, World of Books offers a huge range of affordable, high-quality books — giving both new and preloved titles a second life. The company also operates World of Books – Sell Your Books, an easy-to-use platform that allows customers to trade in unwanted books for cash, helping to keep books in circulation while promoting sustainability. As a Certified B Corp, World of Books is driven by a vision to become the world’s largest and most sustainable dedicated online bookstore. The company measures its success through the positive environmental impact it creates, the value it provides to customers, and its ability to operate profitably while supporting its sustainable mission …
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