Hard to Be Good - Hardcover

Barich, Bill

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0374168121 ISBN 13: 9780374168124

Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1987

Synopsis

The first collection of Barich's short fiction comprises light stories, including "Where the Mountains Are," "Caravaggio," and "Too Much Electricity," in addition to the title story

About this title

About the Author:

Bill Barich is the author of numerous books, among them Big Dreams: Into the Heart of California, and The Sporting Life. He has written extensively for The New Yorker, as well as Playboy and Sports Illustrated. He has been a Guggenheim Fellow in fiction.

From Publishers Weekly:

Barrich's first collection of seven short stories, which takes a look at the lofty standards people set for themselves, is not just good, but very good. The title narrative introduces Shane, a teenager spending a vacation with his ex-hippie mother and her third husband. Trying hard to behave, Shane nevertheless seems propelled, almost by fate, to end up in the local jail. In "The Guest," the behavior question is seen from another viewpoint. The owner of a small Italian guesthouse calls it "a victory for the forces of order" when he evicts an unruly guest. As time passes, however, he finds he misses the friendly chaos the man's annual visits brought. Barich (Traveling Light) has a rare ability to create quirky, likable characters with a few deft strokes. That, and the fact that his short stories are complete, compelling narratives in which problems proceed forward resolutions, make this collection especially appealing.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux
• Publication date: 1987
• ISBN 10: 0374168121
• ISBN 13: 9780374168124
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 180