Foggy Mountain Breakdown and Other Stories

by Sharyn McCrumb

Book Overview

"In an earlier life, McCrumb must have been a balladeer, singing of restless spirits, star-crossed lovers, and the consoling beauty of nature. . . . The overall effect is spellbinding."
--The Washington Post

Bestselling author Sharyn McCrumb is "a born storyteller" (Mary Higgins Clark) who astonishes readers and reviewers with the power and scope of her talent, prompting the San Diego Union-Tribune to declare: "There is no one quite like...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345414942
• ISBN13: 9780345414946
• Release Date: June 1998
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.1" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

Wonderful!

A long time ago, my parents and I went to hear McCrumb give a reading at a local college and we were hooked by her storytelling. She shared quite a few of these short stories with us that night and when I re-discovered them in my parents' bookcases over Thanksgiving, I made sure I brought this one home. I love every single one of these stories. They are fun, interesting and reminds me that she is a wonderful storyteller. Sometimes, I feel as if story-telling is becoming a lost art especially since I don't like short stories. They're usually drab, unsatisfying and short. Not McCrumb's. These are wonderful. Here are a few samples: "Telling the Bees" where a young groom takes his bride to his grandparents' home in the mountains, only to leave the next day to accomodate his very spoiled bride. You could feel her disdain for the ramshackled (but clean) cabin and her poutiness at breaking the heel of her expensive designer boot. You could feel his sadness at time passing and his disappointment that she wouldn't share in some of his fondest memories of growing up at his grandparents' place. Then there's "Gentle Reader" where an author corresponds with a fan who absolutely loves every single one of her books. There is a twist in the story as she reveals more of her problems to this "gentle reader" and how he helped her out. These are just two of my favorites ~~ there are stories of a funeral and different memories of the deceased from different members of the family, there are stories of murder, rage, love, passion and leaving or returning back to the homestead. These are just reflections of life everywhere, not just in the mountains. And they are wonderful short stories ~~ real and true to people. They are not drab. They are short (and there were some I wish was longer ...) but they're definitely not like modern short stories where they write to be artistic, not realistic. McCrumb has already gotten my heart with her other stories and this one cinches the deal even more. It's a great introduction to her writings and it's definitely a keeper in any serious bookworm's library. 1-1-07

Had to Write

The books in Sharyn McCrumb's Appalachian Series are among my favorites, so I couldn't resist her collection of short stories. All are extremely well written. The stories are so varied that it's hard to believe the same person wrote them all. When I got to the end, I wanted to go back to the beginning and start all over again. The book fits my criterion for Superb; that is, I wish I could have written the stories. Even if you don't ordinarily like short stories, give this book a try.

Excellent!

I know that my heading isn't exactly distinctive, but "excellent" is really the best word to describe this collection of short stories. As a dedicated reader of the Eliz McPherson series, I loved the story about her early days. I also thought "The Monster of Glamis" was intriguing, although a bit fanciful. Anyone who has read her novel Paying the Piper will recognize elements of Cameron and Elizabeth's relationship in the story about the relationship between the American and the Scot. McCrumb's stories about Appalachia are also moving and sincere.Definitely a wonderful book from a great author whose works I will continue to await anxiously.

a wonderful collection of stories

For anyone who has read her novels, this is Sharyn McCrumb at her best. For anyone who hasn't, it's a fine introduction to her work. Highly recommended.

Beautiful and charming

FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREAKDOWN is a short story collection of some of the best works by Sharyn McCrumb. Most of the collection has been published elsewhere, but never in one book. The stories vary as they include suspense, relationship dramas, and deep characterizations that portray the people and land of the Southern Appalachian chain. All the stories are quite good, especially the who-done-its. The relationship tales are also quite excellent. Tales like the honeymoon couple returning to his mountain roots ("Telling the Bees") or the marriage between a wannabe and a death row inmate ("Not All Brides Are Beautiful") are entirely different stories that share two things in common (along with some of the other stories): They are both extremely interesting and fun to read. This is a very diverse short story anthology from one of the best regional novelists today and is well worth reading. Harriet Klausner