The Theory of Light and Matter (Paperback)


These ten short stories explore loss and sacrifice in American suburbia. In idyllic suburbs across the country, from Philadelphia to San Francisco, narrators struggle to find meaning or value in their lives because of (or in spite of) something that has happened in their pasts. In Hole, a young man reconstructs the memory of his childhood friends deadly fall. In The Theory of Light and Matter, a woman second-guesses her choice between a soul mate and a comfortable one. Memories erode as Porters characters struggle to determine what has happened to their loved ones and whether or not they are responsible. Children and teenagers carry heavy burdens in these stories: in River Dog, the narrator cannot fully remember a drunken party where he suspects his older brother assaulted a classmate; in Azul, a childless couple, craving the affection of an exchange student, fails to set the boundaries that would keep him safe; and in Departure, a suburban teenage boy fascinated with the Amish makes a futile attempt to date a girl he can never be close to.

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Product Description

These ten short stories explore loss and sacrifice in American suburbia. In idyllic suburbs across the country, from Philadelphia to San Francisco, narrators struggle to find meaning or value in their lives because of (or in spite of) something that has happened in their pasts. In Hole, a young man reconstructs the memory of his childhood friends deadly fall. In The Theory of Light and Matter, a woman second-guesses her choice between a soul mate and a comfortable one. Memories erode as Porters characters struggle to determine what has happened to their loved ones and whether or not they are responsible. Children and teenagers carry heavy burdens in these stories: in River Dog, the narrator cannot fully remember a drunken party where he suspects his older brother assaulted a classmate; in Azul, a childless couple, craving the affection of an exchange student, fails to set the boundaries that would keep him safe; and in Departure, a suburban teenage boy fascinated with the Amish makes a futile attempt to date a girl he can never be close to.

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Product Details

General

Imprint

Vintage Books

Country of origin

United States

Series

Vintage Contemporaries

Release date

2010

Availability

Expected to ship within 10 - 15 working days

First published

2010

Authors

Dimensions

203 x 135 x 10mm (L x W x T)

Format

Paperback - Trade

Pages

192

ISBN-13

978-0-307-47517-6

Barcode

9780307475176

Categories

LSN

0-307-47517-4



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