Herb's Pajamas: Stories
3/5
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About this ebook
“A lonely hermit, a dead cobbler, a teenage runaway, and a 54-year-old virgin star in this . . . collection of poignant short stories set on New York’s Upper West Side. In concise, deft prose, Thomas interweaves tales of ordinary people coping with urban malaise. The first piece describes Walter, a sci-fi writer, pondering the value of his existence after his wife walks out. After Walter is cheered up by Mexican rooftop singers, the narrative shifts to his troubled neighbor, Edith. An overweight, sexually frustrated woman, Edith’s unusual antics include pocketing her dying mother’s jewelry and leaving flowers in the trash for a homeless woman. As Edith and Walter come to grips with their loneliness, the chaotic New York milieu is a vital force invigorating their lives. After a 14-year old runs away in search of her older sister in the penultimate story, the collection ends with an adulteress struggling to move her dead lover’s body, still clad in her husband’s pajamas. In portraying each of her four characters, Thomas captures the subtle details of city life with elegance, flair, wit, and comic timing.” —Boston Review
“Thomas has a way with details that makes for endings as bittersweet as her beginnings.” —Publishers Weekly
“An entertaining, cohesive, and well-written volume.” —Booklist
Abigail Thomas
Abigail Thomas worked as both a book editor and book agent before writing her first short story collection, Getting Over Tom. Her second and third books An Actual Life, and Herb's Pajamas, were works of fiction. Her memoir, A Three Dog Life, was named one of the Best Books of the Year by The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post. She is also author of the memoirs Safekeeping, Thinking About Memoir, and What Comes Next and How to Like It. The daughter of renowned science writer Lewis Thomas (The Lives of a Cell), Thomas has four children, twelve grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. She lives in Woodstock, New York, with her dogs.
Read more from Abigail Thomas
A Three Dog Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What Comes Next and How to Like It: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for Herb's Pajamas
8 ratings1 review
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I loved the author's memoir about her husband's long illness and death, but this was underwhelming, in the nothing happens, for a very long time, fashion.