Foley's Luck: Stories

By Elizabeth Hawes and Tom Chiarella

A collection of eleven connected stories follows Dan Foley as he is initiated into his family's funeral business, attends college in St. Petersburg, Florida, transforms his brother's war tales into... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679409653
• ISBN13: 9780679409656
• Release Date: October 1992
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
• Length: 181 Pages
• Weight: 0.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

A Wonderful and Powerful Read!

It is a shame this book is out of print, as it is undoubtedly one of the best short story collections of the 1990s. Chiarella has a grasp of the human condition as acute as that of Lorrie Moore's, and he has a way of writing frankly and openly in a manner that pays homage to the late Raymond Carver. "Foley's Luck" is a collection of poignant stories that follows the main character, "Foley," through life, love, loss, and everything in between. Chiarella manages to pack an incredible punch into each one of these stories (a couple of which originally appeared in "The New Yorker"), and you will most likely find yourself finishing the book in one or two sittings. Chiarella's writing flows beautifully and this book deserves to be put back into print.

Some Great Stuff

There's a thread of Raymond Carver running through these stories. Especially "Foley as Crabman." It'd be interesting to see the author's original vision for the collection, but the book is a worthy read despite the edited structure.

A page turner; funny, sophisticated, and truely enjoyable

A fantastic collection of comtemporary short shorties. Chiarella is definately one of America's future literary stars. Foley's Luck is a fantastic read, I'm sure you will enjoy it as much as I did!

New Yorker

See New Yorker - Nov. 21, 198