Tim Smith (9) (1962–)

This is a collection of short stories, book excerpts, essays and poetry about the islands off Massachusetts. Included are Melville, Poe, Plath, Mailer, Paul Theroux, Vonnegut... My favorites are a short story by John Cheever called "The Chaste Clarissa" about a summer regular on the cape who spends his vacation trying to seduce a taciturn young wife whose husband is away, and the essay "Provincetown Diary" by Louise Rafkin, who won a place in the town's writing residence program.
This seemed show more like the perfect book for an end-of-summer read. show less

This is a lovely collection of stories that anyone looking for the vacations of her childhood should read. They're not all happy; the Cape is a weird place in the off-season, and sometimes a weird place in the on-season (witness Kurt Vonnegut's story). But the collection ends on a proper note with Paul Theroux and his description of a summer vacation. As my dad says, a bad day on the Cape is better than a great day at work.

Surprisingly good. Enjoyable stories of and or about cape cod. Maybe especially fun to read while on the cape.

Fair condition. Cover shows minor discoloration. Evidence of slight water damage - faint staining and waviness of pages on top right section of book.