Lambing Out and Other Stories

by Mary Clearman Blew

Book Overview

The short fiction of Mary Clearman Blew, set in Montana, reflects the brutality of the region as seen in the mountains, the severe weather, and the personal hardships of the people living there. In each of these seven stories, the characters, driven to hurt or be hurt, reflect a range of violence--in their interaction with each other, their relationships with animals, or the effect the harsh environment has on their lives. Whether the turmoil is...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0806133236
• ISBN13: 9780806133232
• Release Date: April 2001
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Powerful, Thoughtful, Moving Stories

This is one of the best collections of short stories I have ever read. The settings for the stories is Montana and the inevitable impact of the harsh environment on the people living there. In seven short stories and less than one hundred pages Blew has managed to combine the effects of an unforgiving climate with the turbulent lives of so-real characters that experience conflict, brutality and heart breaking violence. The environmental effect on the characters in the title story "Lambing Out" is stark and readily apparent. However, the impact in "Paths Unto The Dead" and "Monsters" is more subtle and will give the reader pause and, upon reflection, insight into the incredible talent of the author. This blend of human and natural landscape into the written word is powerful and unforgetable. If you ever wondered why anyone would live "out there", try these stories. For anyone interested in first-rate writing about the interrelationship between a regional environment and the people that inhabit it, this is as good as it gets. Don't be surprised if you end up with the impression the characters are real, that somehow Blew is not making these stories up. She is that good. These are powerful, thoughtful, moving stories that come very close to transcending region.