What a great short story. It takes place in the seventies and the protagonist is thumbing a ride on the Autobahn. He's a young hippy musician and a cop spots him and thinks he might be one of a terrorist group who's killing cops. At gunpoint, he takes him farther into the woods. The cop reminds our hero of his father, also cruel and violent, and he remembers the story of how his father bought him the very mouth organ he still plays and is carrying in his pocket. He is also carrying a Teddy Bear for his infant daughter. This is the kind of story, I can stop after every sentence and think about-both the writing, the sense of place, the character, the plot. Hamilton has written a memoir, which I will look for. I know that the father in this story will dominate it, as too his German mother. How have I never heard this name before?
15 comments:
Hamilton is an Irish writer with ten novels to his credit. His most famous work is a memoir of his childhood, THE SPECKLED PEOPLE. His father was Irish and his mother was German. His father, a strict nationalist, insisted that his children speak only Irish or German, never English.
I've never read Hamilton, but this story sounds compelling, Patti. I'm going to have to look into this.
Never heard of him either, but good story. We did travel the autobahn in Germany a couple of times and what I remember most is, no speed limit (or possibly a very high one).
"The prohibition against English made me see that language as a challenge. Even as a child, I spoke to the walls in English and secretly rehearsed dialogue I heard outside," he wrote later.[2] As a consequence of this, he grew up with three languages – English, Irish and German – and a sense of never really belonging to any: "There were no other children like me, no ethnic groups that I could attach myself to".[2]
Interesting the different strategies bilingual families take to language. It must make many kids have a hard time integrating into their schools and neighborhoods.
I haven't heard of Hugo Hamilton before reading your fine review. Now I want to find some of his books and read them!
I've been reading The Stark House Anthology Some newer authors like Ed Gorman and Bill Pronzini, but lots of older, 50ish noir like Harry Whittington, Fletcher Flora, Peter Rabe, Orrie Hitt, Dan J. Marlowe, Jean Potts, Helen Nielsen, Frank Kane, Stephen Marlowe, and Henry Kane.
especially his memoir.
I am always hoping to find this sort of book at the used book sale here but it is always more current authors.
After George reviewed it, I got it for $2.99 on Kindle.
Hugo Hamilton is new to me, except that I did see it in the New Yorker when it came out, and that he had also written a piece discussing the story.
I read it this morning after I saw your post. It is very good and a good length, and I liked the ending, the last paragraph.
me too. a very satisfying story that will make me seek him out further.
Picked up two interesting collections edited by Ed Gorman and Martin H. Greenberg, Pulp Masters and Love Kills, at our Children's Hospital Book Market on Friday. The publisher was Carroll & Graf. Both looked new and the price was $3.00. Puip Masters has five novelettes by John D. MacDonald, James M. Cain, Donald E. Westlake, Lawrence Block and Mickey Spillane and a novel by Harry Whittington. Love Kills has more than 30 short stories. The authors include Bill Crider, Marcia Muller, Bill Pronzini, Nancy Pickard, Even Hunter and Maxim Jakubowki.
Wow, that title sounded familiar and I looked it up and I have a copy of Pulp Masters, that I picked up three years ago from the Planned Parenthood book sale. Now I need to finally get to reading some of those novellas.
I gotta lotta short story, wiseguy,
dealing with our effusive epiphany. WassamataU? (gottalotta cuzznz
on scary LongEye now):
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Cya soon, gorgeous wildflower...
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