UNITED STATES AUTHOR · FICTION · GENERAL
Ethan Canin
Also known as: Ethan Andrew Canin
Ethan Andrew Canin is an American writer, educator, and physician, author of novels (Blue River, For Kings and Planets, Carry Me Across the Water, America America, A Doubter's Almanac) and short stories (Emperor of the Air, The Palace Thief).
You cannot imagine how I long for you
— from Carry Me Across the Water
Most acclaimed
The Palace Thief
Summary:"Extraordinary for its craft and emotional effect ... [Ethan Canin is] a writer of enormous talent and charm." 'The Washington Post "Character is destiny," wrote Heraclitus'and in this collection of four unforgettable stories, we meet people struggling to understand themselves and the unexpected turns their lives have taken. In "Accountant," a quintessential company man becomes obsessed with the phenomenal success of a reckless childhood friend. "Batorsag and Szerelem" tells the story of a boy's fascination with the mysterious life and invented language of his brother, a math prodigy. In "City of Broken Hearts," a divorced father tries to fathom the patterns of modern relationships. And in "The Palace Thief," a history teacher at an exclusive boarding school reflects on the vicissitudes of a lifetime connection with a student scoundrel. A remarkable achievement by one of America's finest writers, this brilliant volume reveals the moments of insight that illuminate everyday lives. "Captivating ... a heartening tribute to the form ... an exquisite performance." 'The Boston Sunday Globe "A model of wit, wisdom, and empathy. Chekhov would have appreciated its frank renderings and quirky ironies." 'Chicago Tribune
A Doubter's Almanac
Summary:After a lonely childhood in the woods of northern Michigan in the 1950s, it is not until Milo Andret goes to U.C. Berkeley as a graduate student that his professors realise what a prodigiously gifted and unusual mind he has. Yet with these gifts come risks, and California in the seventies is rife with temptation, opening Milo's eyes to the allure of both ambition and indulgence. The research he begins there will make him a legend; the woman and the rival he meets there will haunt him forever. It soon becomes clear that Milo's brilliance is inextricably linked to a dark side, and it is this duality that ultimately threatens to unravel his work, his family, and his life. It is a duality that his son, Hans, inherits and one which he must conquer if he is to avoid the fate of his father. A Doubter's Almanac is at once a captivatingly virtuoso illustration of the powers of the mind and a deeply moving exploration of the nature of love, ambition and genius. It is a novel of flawed characters and frustrated dreams; of the bonds that tie and the passions that destroy
America America
In the early 1970s, Corey Sifter, the son of working-class parents, becomes a yard boy on the grand estate of the powerful Metarey family. Soon, through the family's generosity, he is a student at a private boarding school and an aide to the great New York senator Henry Bonwiller, who is running for president. Before long, Corey finds himself involved with one of the Metarey daughters as well, and he begins to leave behind the world of his upbringing. As the Bonwiller campaign gains momentum, Corey finds himself caught up in a complex web of events in which loyalty, politics, sex, and gratitude conflict with morality, love, and the truth. Ethan Canin's stunning novel is about America as it was and is, a remarkable exploration of how vanity, greatness, and tragedy combine to change history and fate.From the Hardcover edition.