Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different
Aquarium
by Vann, David
- Used
- as new
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- As New/As New
- ISBN 10
- 080212352X
- ISBN 13
- 9780802123527
- Seller
-
Grottoes, Virginia, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
U.S.A.: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2015. First Edition/First Printing. Very Fine condition. Brodart protected, ships in a box.. First Edition. Hard Cover. As New/As New.
Reviews
On Feb 25 2015, CloggieDownunder said:
“Like a leaf giving birth to stars………..Body of small green leaves, veined, very thin, its fins painted in light cast from elsewhere, but from his eye out his long snout, an eruption of galaxies without foreign source, born in the fish itself. An opening in the small fabric of the world, a place to fall into endlessly.”
Aquarium is the fifth full length novel by American author, David Vann. It is set in 1994 and narrated by twelve-year-old Caitlin Thompson. Caitlin’s world revolves around three important elements: her hardworking single mother, Sheri; her best friend at school, Indian émigré Shalini Anand; and her afternoon visits to the Seattle Aquarium. The year is drawing to a close, class involves making a paper-mache Divali Reindeer and Sheri has finally met a decent man, Steve, when Caitlin encounters an old man at the Aquarium, an old man who seems as fascinated by the fish as she is. And who seems very interested in her life.
Vann gives the reader a very diverse cast of characters: the effervescent Shalini; the admirably balanced Steve; the damaged and resentful Sheri; the earnestly repentant Bob. Of course, Caitlin, with her optimism, her love and her capacity for compassion, outshines them all. Their interactions are sometimes funny, sometimes decidedly uncomfortable, sometimes shockingly raw, but fans of Vann’s work will know not to expect a novel filled with sweetness and light. His work has been described as confronting. The plot takes a few unexpected turns before arriving at a startling climax.
While readers may find the lack of quotation marks for speech irritating, this is more than compensated for by the gorgeous descriptive passages, especially, but not only, those about fish. “You’re in trouble, Shalini whispered in my ear, leaning close. All the little hairs stood up on my neck and I had goose bumps. Shalini could make me shiver, as if my entire body were a bell that had just been struck” Another excellent offering from David Vann.
4.5 stars
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Details
- Bookseller
- Catch and Release Books (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 004325
- Title
- Aquarium
- Author
- Vann, David
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- New As New
- Jacket Condition
- As New
- Edition
- First Edition
- ISBN 10
- 080212352X
- ISBN 13
- 9780802123527
- Publisher
- Atlantic Monthly Press
- Place of Publication
- U.S.A.
- Date Published
- 2015
Terms of Sale
Catch and Release Books
full refund of purchase price within 14 days of receipt
About the Seller
Catch and Release Books
Biblio member since 2008
Grottoes, Virginia
About Catch and Release Books
Hunter S Thompson/beatsPolitics/governmentmodern first editionsnon-fiction first editionsigned first editionfishing
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- New
- A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Brodart
- Generally used to refer to a clear plastic cover that is sometimes added to the dustjacket or outside covering of a book. The...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...