God Lives in St. Petersburg: and Other Stories
by Tom Bissell
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Young Americans abroad in Central Asia find themselves pushed to their limits in these acclaimed, prize-winning stories by one of our most exciting and talented new authors. Combining bleak humor, ironic insight, deep compassion, and unflinching moral and ethical inquiry, Tom Bissell gives us a gripping collection that is both timeless and profoundly relevant to today’s complex world.Tags
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God Lives in St. Petersburg is comprised of six short stories:
Bissell thrives on the theme of entrapment. Every story centers around a character's inability to get away from an unpleasant situation. Whether it be ugly people, bad drugs or heartbreak. show less
- Death Defier - Two journalists are stuck in war torn Afghanistan and taken captive. Favorite line, "He disliked such emotional nudism" (p 21).
- Aral - A biologist falls prey to a former KGB officer with a grudge. Best lines, "Hunger stumbled, heavy-footed, inside her stomach" (p 64).
- Expensive Trips Nowhere - A hiker's marriage is challenged when his wife develops a bond with their Kazakhstan guide. Best sarcastic line, "Jayne had stabilized into a teeth-clenched toleration of Douglas's parents, Park-and-Seventieth gentry who never understood why their son had settled for "some mousy midwestern girl" (p 96).
- The Ambassador's Son - Alec is a spoiled ambassador's son with a
- penchant for finding trouble. Favorite line, "Finally we had arrived at the shores of his unfaithfulness" (p 145).
- God Lives in St. Petersburg - a teacher finds himself in a terrible situation with a student.
- Animals in Our Lives - while walking around a zoo, a married couple watch their marriage disintegrate.
Bissell thrives on the theme of entrapment. Every story centers around a character's inability to get away from an unpleasant situation. Whether it be ugly people, bad drugs or heartbreak. show less
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17+ Works 2,533 Members
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- Members
- 136
- Popularity
- 239,294
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.74)
- Languages
- Dutch, English, French, Italian
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 7
- ASINs
- 2
