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Loading... Elbow Room (1972)by James Alan McPherson
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. 1652 Elbow Room: Stories by James Alan McPherson (read 8 Aug 1981) (Pulitzer Fiction prize in 1978) This book contains 12 short stories, and I have read it because I read all Pulitzer fiction winners. I was bored or bothered by everything in this book. All stories are about black people, and while they sound authentic I fail to see much sense in them or why one should read them. Many stories have no seeming point in the literal way I seek a point in a short story. I also object to the obscenities and know that they only detract from the work. I think it is a shame that crap like this can win a Pulitzer Prize. no reviews | add a review
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A beautiful collection of short stories that explores blacks and whites today, Elbow Room is alive with warmth and humor. Bold and very real, these twelve stories examine a world we all know but find difficult to define. Whether a story dashes the bravado of young street toughs or pierces through the self-deception of a failed preacher, challenges the audacity of a killer or explodes the jealousy of two lovers, James Alan McPherson has created an array of haunting images and memorable characters in an unsurpassed collection of honest, masterful fiction. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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I can't really say that there was a particular story in this collection that stood out to me, or that I found particularly interesting or well written. There also wasn't a story that I felt was poorly written, or that lost my interest while i was reading it.
In the end, I was entertained enough while reading the stories but they did not leave a lasting impression on me. This is my typical experience with short stories. ( )