All That I Have

by Castle Freeman Jr.

Book Overview

A small gem of a novel with big ideas - 'A small miracle', Nick CaveLucian Wing is an experienced, practical man who enforces the law in his corner of Vermont with a steady hand and a generous... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1586421514
• ISBN13: 9781586421519
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Steerforth Press
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.5" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Remarkable. Guilty Pleasure to Read

This is a simply remarkable book. The writing is smooth, clear and brings you right along with a story that fits the setting, the characters and the tone. There is not a single wasted word. Along the way, Freeman offers incredibly powerful insights that leave you wondering, "Wow, why didn't I think that before?" He talks of the geography of people - how some of us know what we want to be from when we're little and grow up to be that (the straight line), whereas others of us take a bit of wandering (the explorer) to find where we fit. And every so often there is a little bit of humor that fit the moment, the scene and the characters perfectly: "Talking to Sean was like talking to a barking dog, except that any dog that's smart enough to bark is smarter than Sean." This will undoubtedly be one of my favorite novels of 2009. There is almost a Hemingway-esque quality to Freeman's writing. Sparse, just right. Flawless. I can see why Freeman has won so many awards and so many fans. Between him, Chabon, and McCarthy, American literature is on the ascent yet again.

Marvelously Entertaining

As I was struggling to put into words how much I enjoyed Castle Freeman's "All That I Have," it occurred to me I should just do what he does all through the book: keep it clear and concise, without over complicating things. So, to quote Stephen Sondheim, "here is my belief, in brief." This is an almost perfect read - if such a thing can exist - beautifully paced, crisply written, funny as all Hell. Freeman's way with a phrase is almost startling at times in its economy and simplicity; in that regard he reminds me of two of my favorite authors, Richard Russo and Michael Malone. Each writes about small town America with affection, insight and a stinging, dry wit. And while no-one's motives or behavior - whether wealthy WASP or poor white trash - escapes scrutiny, there's never a hint of condescension or ridicule. I sincerely hope this is the first of many Lucian Wing novels; until then, I'll be happily checking out Freeman's earlier works.

Small-Town Sheriff with Understated Humor Equals Appealing Narrator

Sheriff Lucian Wing, the narrator of Castle Freeman's taut, sinewy novella All That I Have, is endearing, wise, and down-to-earth. He is a man with no illusions, stripped of all vanity, and resigned to a life of quiet contemplation and obscurity yet he has a healthy outlook on life buoyed for the most part by his deadpan humor. He appreciates what he has, a beautiful wife, Clemmie, and a meaningful job--working in law enforcement. Never mind that his father-in-law has an undying, seething contempt for him. Never mind that his wife can be at times ornery with her husband. Never mind that Sheriff Wing hardly makes any money for putting his life on the line every day in this small Vermont town. Never mind that the rural dwellers scoff at Wing's crime-fighting, looking at him as more of a busybody than a fearless hero. And never mind that Wing works with a true confederacy of vainglorious nincompoops, including the unscrupulous Deputy Keen who covets Wing's job. Lucian Wing is a wise man who can extract happiness from the small things in life. He knows the importance of appreciating his successes and ironing over his failures. From his realistic, sometimes gimlet-eyed view of the world, we see the Wing explain his evolution as a sheriff. He weaves his past experiences with his current crisis: Coming cross a crime evidencing that Russian gangsters are infiltrating his small community. At the same time the sheriff has to fight for his job in an election against the deputy. Admirers of this tart, humorous, understated prose will probably want to check out Charles Willeford's Hoke Moseley detective novels, including Miami Blues and New Hope for the Dead.

Excellent compact tale of small-town life and law enforcement

For such a short book, this novel is densely packed with imagery and pathos. Told from the perspective of local sheriff Lucian Wing, this tale of small town crime with big city implications is a deft character study. I was reminded of No Country for Old Men, but this tale was less dark (though no less gripping) and used wry humor to soften the building tension. As Wing unravels the crime, local troublemaker Sean makes waves in both the community, Wing's marriage, and in the case itself. The ending is superb, the writing crisp, and the characters deep- highly recommended with a definite 5 star rating.

More stars, please

What a wonderful, fantastic novel. Last year I read this author's book, Go With Me, which became one of my top reads of that year. I already know that this book, All That I Have, is going to make this year's list. Both books are short - you can easily read them in a few hours. But they are both jam-packed with such clever and funny prose that you will want to reread certain passages over and over again, just for the joy of it. Short summary, no spoilers - This is a story about Lucian Wing, a humble, laconic, and very wise sheriff in a rural part of Vermont. Suddenly his quiet and relatively uneventful life is challenged by a series of events - a local dimwitted hoodlum nicknamed Superboy picks the wrong house to burgle - and makes off with a strongbox owned by some suspicious and violent Russians who have just moved in the area. Needless to say, they want it back. Throw into the mix Wing's overly ambitious deputy, an exotic female photographer of dubious age, a guard dog described as a "bull mastiff-wolf-alligator hybrid" and a crew of truly eccentric characters and you can see this gets interesting. Oh, and Sheriff Wing may be having his own marital strife, to boot. But as I stated earlier it's not simply the plot that makes this book sing. It's the incredibly clever and witty prose and Freeman's ability to string together a series of words that not only make you laugh, but make you shake your head in recognition of their veracity. While reading this book, I placed little stick-it arrows in all the passages that I wanted to remember. Looking at it now, if I threw this book in the air, I believe it might fly on its own - I used up a lot of those stickies. Needless to say, highly, highly recommended. I believe this author is so talented, and his writing style unique. I am already looking forward to his next book.