Hardcover, 191 pages

English language

Published Jan. 1, 2009 by Bellevue Literary Press.

ISBN:
978-1-934137-19-2
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5 stars (1 review)

An old man lies dying. As time collapses into memory, he travels deep into his past where he is reunited with his father and relives the wonder and pain of his impoverished New England youth.

At once heartbreaking and life affirming, Tinkers is an elegiac meditation on love, loss, and the fierce beauty of nature.

3 editions

Review of 'Tinkers' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I enthusiastically recommend this book!

The narration alternates between George and his father, Howard. The last few days of George's life are portrayed as a countdown of hours, which would have been much more forceful had I been reading a physical book instead of a Kindle. Just imagine: as the hours of George's life dwindle, so do the pages of the book…

It was so nice to read good writing. The point of view switches seamlessly between first and third person, past and present tense. Thankfully, a section overfull of alliteration did not go on too long ("let the low light of the fire lap at it late at night" and "brightness between a band").

The book was such a transporting experience that when I finished reading it, I needed to just sit for a few minutes and finish absorbing it all.

Subjects

  • Fiction
  • Identity (Psychology) in old age
  • Patients
  • Dementia
  • Reminiscing in old age
  • Literature
  • New York Times bestseller
  • nyt:trade_fiction_paperback=2010-04-25
  • Identify Crisis
  • Fathers
  • Fathers and sons
  • Psychology
  • Fiction, psychological
  • Fathers and sons, fiction