Author(s): Don DeLillo

Fiction

The stories here, collected from all five decades of DeLillo's career, show an acknowledged master of the novel in complete command of the short form. In The Angel Esmeralda, DeLillo finds the freedom to represent the wide range of human experience in contemporary America and forces us to confront the uncomfortable shadows lurking in the background. His characters are exposed to their own deep, often unconscious, longings: one man exploits the vulnerability of a woman he's just met, following her home to her apartment and pushing her too far; another finds himself deceiving his wife and beginning an affair. They are subjected to shocking violations, unexpected acts of terror: a woman lives in constant fear of the earthquakes happening all around her; people bear witness to the mysterious abduction of a child from a small park by a stranger. No matter whether he is focused upon the slums of New York or astronauts in orbit around the Earth, DeLillo chooses not to turn away from the unsettling manner in which humans are often brought together, or the disquieting truth behind their emotional interactions. DeLillo's world is a timeless present, eerily perceptive and prophetic, in which he creates powerful stories of lust and obsession, of loss and remorse, of grief and ecstasy. For those unfamiliar with his work, this intense and articulate collection offers a wonderful introduction to one of America's greatest living writers. For those already acquainted, it will be a thrilling and significant addition.