I Sailed with Magellan

By Stuart Dybek

Book Overview

Major new fiction from an acclaimed master From the prizewinning writer Stuart Dybek comes a superb new work: a novel-in-stories, eleven masterful tales told by a single voice with remarkable narrative power. In I Sailed With Magellan, Dybek finds characters of irrepressible vitality amidst the stark urban landscapes of Chicago's south side; there, the daily experiences of the neighborhood are transformed in the lush imaginative adventures of his hero, the restless Perry Katzek. There is remarkable music in each of Dybek's intertwined episodes, the rhythm of street life captured in all its emotional depth and unexpected humor: a man takes his young nephew to a string of taverns where the boy sings for his uncle's bourbon; a small-time thug is distracted from making a hit by the mysterious reappearance of several ex-girlfriends; two unemployed youths hatch a scheme to finance their road trip to Mexico by selling orchids stolen from the rich side of town; a young couple's amorous beach adventure is interrupted when an unexpected visitor washes ashore. As these poignant, often funny chapters unfold, Perry grapples toward the exotic possibilities the world offers him, glimpsing them even beneath the at times brutal surface of the inner-city. Throughout I Sailed With Magellan, fans of Dybek will find the captivating storytelling, the sharp, spare prose, the brilliant dramatization of resilient, inventive humanity that they have come to expect from him.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374174075
• ISBN13: 9780374174071
• Release Date: November 2003
• Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
• Length: 307 Pages
• Weight: 1.13 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.8" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

A beautiful, graceful look at Chicago's past

I suppose I would love this book even if I weren't a Chicagoan. The characters are so richly crafted, and the action poignant yet well paced. Perhaps the most heartbreaking story is "Blue Boy," with its message in the final paragraph so lushly written I took a sharp intake of breath before reading it again--aloud. An interconnected series of short stories, not everything meshes, especially "Breasts," which takes a side trip into the life of a hit man. But for the most part this is a special, nostalgic look at a Second City that really doesn't exist anymore, but lives on in gorgeous detail in Dybek's prose.

dybek

stuart dybek is a gifted writer who truly understands the short story. His characters are full of life and wonderfully human. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys great writing.

A great writer

This is timeless fiction of the highest order, on a level with the finest contemporary writers from Stephen Dixon to Philip Roth to Bliss Broyard. Dybek writes with depth, precision and deep feeling; this is the work of a lifetime sketching out a milieu (the Chicago Polish workingclass community) with loving, compassionate and haunting details. James T. Farrell and Nelson Algren were the pioneers of Chicago fiction, but Dybek digs deeper. This is unforgettable work, sketching out the turf he knows so well and making it as universal as Sherwood Anderson, Chekhov and Dostoyevsky.

Word Lover

A fan of Dybek's work for years, I looked forward to the publication of his third book. As I sit at my computer to write this bit, my new kitten, Gus aka Pooky, follows with deftness and alertness each letter as it appears on the screen. Right now she's affixed upon the little AOL symbol in the upper right hand corner that rotates and fades and reappears while I'm online. Gus/Pooky notices with enthusiasm the nuances in life and language, and honors them. She is smart and charming and not only does not disappoint, she makes living all the better. Same with Dybek and his stories. He's crafty as a magician, and has the heart of a lover of words, of the world. His writing is at once a gift and a friend, and I'm always happy to have it around.

Excellent writing, deeply known characters

I especially liked the stories in the first half of this book, those that focus on main character Perry, a boy growing up in a Polish neighborhood on Chicago's Southwest side in the 1950s. They are deeply felt, wonderfully detailed, highly realistic and with excellent characters. Toward the middle are a few stories more "poetic" in style that appeal to me less. The last stories return to the old neighborhood and again, the perfectly noted details and highly individualized characters drew me back into the lives of that time and place. Highly recommended for those who enjoy short fiction and anyone who appreciates excellent writing.