Book description
Michael Hemmingson has been called “Raymond Carver on acid” by literary guru Larry McCaffery and “a disciple of a quick and dirty literature” by the American Book Review. Hemmingson writes from within the everyday man's murky nightmares, offering hints and then, dazzlingly, reneging on his hints.
Why read it?
1 author picked Pictures of Houses with Water Damage as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
In this collection of short and very short stories, the characters are anything but heroic.
They have unwanted pregnancies, alcohol and drug problems, dysfunctional romances, horrible jobs, no jobs, glorious aspirations, and inglorious resolutions. Hemmingson writes short, plain sentences reminiscent of Carver and Hemingway – but with little macho bluster and much sensitivity. The revelation of this collection is its humor.
Despite the travails detailed in each narrative, the stories are funny, sometimes hilarious, reminding the reader that life in all its imperfections is mysteriously beautiful.
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