Dog on the Cross
Select Format
Select Condition 
Book Overview
A man miraculously survives a fall from the eighth floor of a drilling rig but is ever after plagued by an unwillingness to live. A preacher loses his ability to speak in tongues and begins to fake it. A young man is intent on suppressing his sinful love for his best friend even though he can think of nothing else. A teenage boy struggles with the temptation of a young girl. A grandmother will stop at nothing to make her grandson famous. These are some of the good citizens of Perser, Oklahoma. And in Aaron Gwyn's debut collection, the people of Perser are unpredictable and unforgettable as they struggle with lapses into sin during the week a young faith healer comes to town. In his careful articulation of faith and doubt, sin and self-delusion, allegiance to the church and self-glorification, Gwyn reveals himself as a writer of great heart and complexity, creating a world that burns with pain, love, and an odd kind of devotion.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:156512412X
ISBN13:9781565124127
Release Date:January 2004
Publisher:Algonquin Books
Length:217 Pages
Weight:0.66 lbs.
Dimensions:0.7" x 4.9" x 8.0"
Customer Reviews
2 ratings
Haunting and Lovely
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
The title story--about a dog nailed to a cross outside a church, presumably to discourage its members--is one of the most haunting and graceful stories I've read in years. But what I like most about this collection is how the author depicts the Southern Pentecostal experience, without irony or prejudice, to produce a deeply engrossing collection of stories in which sum of its parts is somehow more than the individual pieces.Gwyn is one of the true descendents of Flannery O'Connor, with a little Larry Brown and Eudora Welty thrown into the mix. If you ever read with awe one of Flannery O'Connor's stories--such as "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" or "Good Country People"--you will not be disappointed in the least with Dog on the Cross.
Gwyn, one of the best.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
With these stories Aaron Gwyn has tapped into something common in all of us. I read these short stories and was astonished by how original they were, taking the life of the Pentecostal and showing us something completely new, different. Each story takes you somewhere wholly unexpected. Gwyn is the O'Henry for our times. I'd recommend this book to any short story fan and those who really need to feel how strong a short story can hit you.
Copyright © 2025 Thriftbooks.com
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information | Cookie Policy | Cookie Preferences | Accessibility Statement
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
