Eleven linked stories follow a drifting narrator through the drug-addled margins of the American Midwest and Pacific Northwest in the 1970s. The narrator, nicknamed Fuckhead, wanders through hospitals, bars, car wrecks and rehabs, including the famous opening, in which he survives a car crash while hitchhiking. Johnson writes in short, lyrical bursts, mixing absurd and tender moments among addicts, nurses and strangers.
This is for readers who like sparse, strange short fiction about addiction and the possibility of grace. It suits those who want a quick, intense read and enjoy writers like Raymond Carver, with a more hallucinatory style.
Deep, inward-looking, contemplative, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1992
- Language
- EN
