First Light

by Charles Baxter

Book Overview

Hugh Welch has cared for his little sister Dorsey ever since they were children, when Dorsey looked at him as though he were a god. But when Dorsey returns to their small Michigan hometown with a successful career as an astrophysicist and a happy family life, Hugh, who has a long habit of worrying about his sister, realizes that it s his own life he has to cure, not Dorsey s. As they explore their complicated history over one hot Fourth of July weekend,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670817015
• ISBN13: 9780670817016
• Release Date: September 1987
• Publisher: Viking
• Length: 286 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.2" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Beautifully told family drama

Baxter begins this book with a glimpse into the life of a family in a state of static malaise. Rather than take the story forward he begins drifting backward in time, layering in incidents and moments that start to explain how the family got that way. In the hands of many writers this would feel like a gimick, but Baxter has the grace and skill to pull it off beautifully. With each chapter our questions are answered and our understanding grows.

First Light

I read First Light when it first came out. Charles Baxter writes with a beautiful, stunning style. His characters are interesting and complex. I have read all his books, and I think that his work is compelling and beautiful. Christine

Smart, lyrical book

When I realized that this book's format was to recount the lives of the characters - backwards, I was immediately put off, thinking I'd be bogged down by the device. But I quickly forgot that, and was engrossed in the vivid details and non-sentimental portrayal of the characters.

Simply a masterpiece

Although Charles Baxter is best known as a master of the short story (BELIEVERS etc.), this novel is his finest piece of work. It is the story of the complicated relationship between a brother and sister, told backwards, from end to beginning. Each individual chapter has the tight logic of a short story, but as a whole the novel is rich and complex. A magnificent study of the bonds of love and friendship.

A warm, wonderful book

Charles Baxter is better known as a short story writer, but his novels are little-known gems. First Light takes an "ordinary" relationship--that of a brother and sister--and shows how complex it really is. The book travels backwards in time: each chapter takes place at an earlier age in the characters' lives than the previous one. What could be a constricting or gimmicky literary device becomes magical in Charles Baxter's hands. The ending is beautiful. The characters sometimes exasperate but then, doesn't your brother or sister sometimes exasperate you?