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Thomas McGuane
The Guardian has an intriguing profile of Thomas McGuane.
The kind of writers McGuane loves aren't Trollope or Galsworthy or Wolfe - "writers who concern themselves with the man who rises from the masses to run for president". Rather, "I like Halldór Laxness and Machado de Assis - people who try to understand the human condition by looking at intimate pictures of human life." ... Jonathan Franzen? "I thought the family stuff in The Corrections was phenomenal. But I thought that almost every page was a third too long. It kind of reminded me of reading Thomas Mann; you don't know how you're going to get to the bottom of the page, but somehow you do. I'd rather read something fiery. I'd rather read Stendhal. I just like a hotter surface, I guess."
I must admit to knowing absolutely nothing about McGuane, but his literary sensibilities have piqued my interest. If anybody out there can recommend which one of McGuane's novels I should start with, please enlighten me in the comments below.
February 10, 2007 in Books | Permalink
Comments
Check out his first short story collection - To Skin a Cat. His new collection is also out - Gallatin Canyon. Most of those stories appeared first in the NYer and i'm less a fan of those stories. I haven't read his later novels, but his early novels - The Bushwhacked Piano & Ninety-two in the Shade - would be the place to start. Panama is another early novel, semi-autobiographical, that captures his then imploding life...
Posted by: Steven McDermott at Feb 10, 2007 1:49:39 PM
I don't agree that To Skin A Cat would be a good place to start, although it does contain one of my all time favourite short stories (the one about a character running an errand for his boss to collect a dog he's purchased - can't remember the name). The rest are slightly disappointing for a writer I otherwise hold in very high regard indeed, and it may put you off. The first of his novels I read was Keep the Change (1989?) which I have huge affection for, of his earlier, 92 Degrees... is choice. The Longest Silence (non-fiction) beautifully and hilariously (for he is undeniably a very witty writer) details his life both as a devout angler and otherwise, and reveals another side to him not seen in his fiction. Also, if you can track down another writer who has been neglected and ignored (especially in UK) called Jim Harrison, bear in mind that he and McGuane have (apparently) been close friends for forty-plus years, and in Harrison's non-fiction collection Just Before Dark there is a priceless exchange between the two entitled A Chat With A Novelist (1971). McGuane wrote the screenplay for Missouri Breaks (and others) and was a buddy of the late great Hunter S. Thompson (another misunderstood writer of quality in my opinion).
Posted by: Leon Sansick at Feb 17, 2007 8:34:55 AM
Sounds like it'd be worth dipping into from time to time
Posted by: Ben Barrack at Jul 14, 2008 6:12:56 PM
My GG-Grandfather, born March 12, 1837 in County Claire, Ireland came to USA approx 1870..had four sons: Patrick (1863) , Martin (1870) James (1874)(my Grandfather) William (1876)and Thomas (1878). Patrick was born in Ireland, Martain in England and the rest in Deposit, NY. They also had one daughter Mary (Nel) (1872) Their Mother was Mary Shaughnessy and her Mother was Nora McInewrney. Patrick, Mary, James and daughter Mary are buried in St. Joseph's cemetery in Deposit, NY.
Just wondering if Thomas is related to our McGuane family....any information will be appreciated...trying to find the town in Ireland where they lived...have been to Ireland twice with all our children...
Elaine McGuane Corda
Posted by: Elaine McGuane Corda at Mar 17, 2009 11:29:07 AM
Sorry, Elaine, but I have absolutely no idea. I don't know McGuane personally, and I still haven't read any of his stuff, more than two years after this original post.
Posted by: Pete at Mar 18, 2009 12:56:43 PM
