Land's End

By Michael Cunningham

Book Overview

"Cunningham's short book is a haunting, beautiful piece of work. . . . A magnificent work of art." -The Washington Post

"Easily read on a plane-and-ferry journey from here to the sandy, tide-washed tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Land's End is that most perfect of companions: slender, eloquent, enriching, and fun. . . . A casually lovely ode to Provincetown." -The Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Cunningham rambles through Provincetown, gracefully exploring the unusual geography, contrasting seasons, long history, and rich stew of gay and straight, Yankee and Portuguese, old-timer and 'washashore' that flavors Cape Cod's outermost town. . . . Chock-full of luminous descriptions . . . . He's hip to its studied theatricality, ever-encroaching gentrification and physical fragility, and he can joke about its foibles and mourn its losses with equal aplomb." -Chicago Tribune

"A homage to the 'city of sand'. . . Filled with finely crafted sentences and poetic images that capture with equal clarity the mundanities of the A&P and Provincetown's magical shadows and light . . . Highly evocative and honest. It takes you there." -The Boston Globe

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 125001770X
• ISBN13: 9781250017703
• Release Date: August 1970
• Publisher: Picador
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Heaven on Earth

This slight book reads like a leisurely travel article from a magazine that offers good wine with the article. Cunningham gets the facts and history of Provincetown straight but he adds to his narrative his personal anecdotes. This is what wonderful writing is: a perfect blend of the factual and the personal. Having lived in this place that is heaven on earth---Provincetown---I was touched deeply by this little book. Many times while reading it and certainly when I finished I wished I could leave cloudy Los Angeles for the golden perfect light of Cape Cod. Bravo, Mr. Cunningham, for another lovely piece of writing.

A Fine Book About a Fine Place

Michaeal Cunningham loves Provincetown and conveys that love in every sentence in this beautifully written book about a great town. He ably does what every travel writer should do: he convinces those who have never been to Provincetown to visit and makes those who have been there want to return. Mr. Cunningham does a thorough job of describing the town's geography as well as both the famous artists who lived there in the past and those of the present, also the "town characters" one can run into on the busy streets on any summer day. There is also poems by Mark Doty, Stanley Kunitz, Robert Pinsky and Melvin Dixon, among others included throughout the book. Finally Mr. Cunningham discusses the effect AIDS has had on the gay population of Provincetown in a chapter called "Death and Life" and pays tribute to a friend named Billy who died from AIDS. "Provincetown has been widowed by the AIDS epidemic. It will never fully recover, though it is accustomed to loss. . . Provincetown possesses, has always possessed, a steady, grieving competence in the face of all that can happen to people. It watches and waits; it keeps the lights burning. If you are a man or woman with AIDS there, someone will always drive you to your doctor's appointments, get your groceries if you can't get them yourself, and take care of whatever needs taking care of."Is there any wonder why this writer loves Provincetown?

One Man's Love of Land's End!

"A Walk Through Provincetown" is not your typical travel guide. Cunningham was invited to contribute to a series of travel books and this is his unique and inspiring contribution. It's a one man journey across a town that he first came to over twenty years ago. Cunningham has given us an interesting combination of historical facts and personal reflections. He describes Provincetown's cultural interests, its shops, bars, street life, heritage, gay cruising areas, and its historical sites. Cunningham presents a very personal view of Provincetown, one that is filled with wonder, joy, and a deep love of this town. He always writes beautifully, and this book includes poems and prose passages from many of Provincetown's other distinguished writers. This book is a pleasure to read for anyone who cares about this very special place, and for those not familiar with the town, a way to learn about it from someone who cares. This is an elegant personal tour of a town that has always been rich in diversity. Hopefully, it will remain that way for this generation and generations to come. Cunningham has made a great contribution in furthering that goal. A wonderful book!Joe Hanssen

Subtle yet delightful

This is a must-read for anyone who loves to visit Provincetown, as well as anyone who has not yet visited. It is a wonderful souvenir of the town, that has a charm unique to anywhere else. There is so much history in this town, and the author has a wonderful way of intertwining history lessons with descriptions of the town today. Put on your favourite soft music, and disappear into the town while reading this. You will long for your next trip, or your first.