by Thom Jones
First published 2005
An alcoholic boxer steps into the ring for what may be his last bout, knowing his body can no longer withstand the punishment. In Vietnam, soldiers confront their mortality amid the chaos of war. On a university campus in New England, academics face their own forms of combat. In Bombay, an American traveler suffers an epileptic seizure that triggers disturbing visions. These damaged souls discover their vulnerability in moments of crisis. Jones writes about people broken by life who must reckon with their physical and emotional limits. The stories move between war zones and quiet corners of America, following characters who fight battles they cannot win. Each tale delivers a visceral punch that mirrors the violence his protagonists endure. The collection reveals how fragility lurks beneath every surface, waiting to emerge when least expected.
Genres: fiction, short-stories, literary-fiction, american-fiction, addiction, 20th-century, war, 21st-century
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking, visceral
Tropes: damaged-characters, fragility, vulnerability
Setting: America, Bombay, New England, Vietnam
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
288 pages · Paperback · ALBIN MICHEL
Content warnings: addiction, alcohol-abuse, violence