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Retribution

Stories

John Fulton

Picador

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ISBN10: 0312300689
ISBN13: 9780312300685

Trade Paperback

208 Pages

$19.00

CA$20.50

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The stories in John Fulton's striking debut collection are set in cars, laundromats, motels, ranch houses, and roadside diners, where his characters struggle with and against the demands of family loyalty, love, loss, and sexual desire. A teenage girl attempts to lose her virginity while her mother dies at home; a middle-aged Casanova passes himself off as Barry Manilow—much to the distress of his soon-to-be-fourth wife; and two young boys accompany their increasingly unhinged mother on a journey of self-destruction across the Utah desert. Retribution paints an astonishingly assured portrait of the new American West and signals the arrivals of a young writer of remarkable gifts.

Reviews

Praise for Retribution

"[Fulton] writes like an old master in this powerful collection of short stories [and displays] a pentrating honesty that is worlds away from jukebox sentiment. Most impressive of all is his uncanny insight, reminiscent of J. D. Salinger, into the inner life of children."—The Boston Sunday Globe

"[These] dynamic stories . . . cover some tough emotional terrain in a delicately quirky voice that's just right for revealing life's dangers, debauches, and dead ends."—Elle

"[These stories are] a revelation in the controlled wildness of their tone and subject matter. They combine comedy and desperation in about equal measure, but they also contain a surprising tenderness, particularly concerning children and what they have to endure to become adults."—Charles Baxter

"Assured, polished, and heartfelt . . . Like the best short stories, Fulton's say as much between the lines as they do in their tight sentences and tough situations. Retribution is a solid and generous debut from a writer we hope to hear more of soon."—Chicago Tribune

"Young people are the center of this book, and Fulton has a way with them. He renders their points of view with intelligent, understated clarity, taking their side without sentimentalizing or condescending to them. They bear witness to the pettiness of adults and the general cruelty of life with a weary, dignified innocence that rings absolutely true."—The Hartford Courant

"How rare to see depictions of teenagers with a conscience . . . Fulton writes honestly and hopefully."—Booklist

Reviews from Goodreads

About the author

John Fulton

John Fulton was raised in Utah and Washington State, and attended the University of Michigan's MFA program. He currently teaches creative writing at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. He is the author of the novel More Than Enough and two short story collections, Retribution and The Animal Girl.