Robert Coover
Autor(a) de The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop.
About the Author
Robert Coover is a midwesterner who has earned a reputation as one of the most innovative of contemporary writers of fiction. Coover likes to experiment with an abundance of differing styles. The Origin of the Brunists (1966), his first novel, is a religious parable heavily loaded with symbolism mostrar mais and mythical parallels. It deals with the rise following an Appalachian coal-mine disaster of a sect of worshipers made up of fundamentalists and theosophists whose leader, Giovanni Bruno, is less a preacher than a silent enigma. The principal analogue is apparently meant to be the founding of the Christian religion, but Coover's extensive irony requires that he reverse many of the traditional features of the Christian legend. The Universal Baseball Association (1968), Coover's most accessible novel to date, is also dominated by religious symbolism. Over the years, J. Henry Waugh, a middle-aged bachelor and accountant, has developed an elaborately structured game, which he plays with dice. His game is based on the mathematical probabilities of baseball. Every evening Henry plays his game and maintains his extensive record books. J. Henry Waugh is a surrogate for God, and the participants in his imaginary baseball league seem almost to come to life, raising as they do age-old questions about fate and free will, success and failure, games and religions. Coover's Pricksongs and Descants (1969) is a collection of 20 short pieces and a theoretical "Prologo" in which the author states his belief that contemporary fiction should be based on familiar historical or mythical forms. Most of the stories in this volume, which was well received by critics, are based on biblical episodes or classical fairy tales retold in startling new ways. The Public Burning (1977) is based on the controversial trial of the Rosenbergs. With the exception of a novel, A Night at the Movies (1992), Coover's publications in recent years have consisted mainly of shorter works, written at various stages of his career, published in limited editions to appeal to collectors. Coover is one of the founders of the Electronic Literature Organization. In 1987 he was chosen as the winner of the Rea Award for the Short Story. Coover is indeed one of the foremost short story writers of the postmodern period, as exemplified by the "Seven Exemplary Fictions" contained in his 1969 book Pricksongs and Descants. (Bowker Author Biography) mostrar menos
Séries
Obras por Robert Coover
Vampire 3 exemplares
The Waitress 3 exemplares
Nighttime of the City 2 exemplares
The Colonel's daughter 2 exemplares
Matinée 2 exemplares
A Pedestrian Accident 2 exemplares
The End of Books 1 exemplar
Visitation (in Ghost Writing - WEINGARTEN) 1 exemplar
Seaview: A Novel (Rediscovery) 1 exemplar
You Must Remeber This {story} 1 exemplar
Last One 1 exemplar
Invasion of the Martians 1 exemplar
Grandmother's Nose 1 exemplar
Heart Suit (in McSweeney's 16 - EGGERS) 1 exemplar
Associated Works
Spells of Enchantment: The Wondrous Fairy Tales of Western Culture (1991) — Contribuidor — 550 exemplares
For the Love of Books: 115 Celebrated Writers on the Books They Love Most (1999) — Contribuidor — 447 exemplares
You've Got to Read This: Contemporary American Writers Introduce Stories that Held Them in Awe (1994) — Introdução — 376 exemplares
McSweeney's Issue 24 (McSweeney's Quarterly Concern): Trouble/Come Back, Donald Barthelme (2007) — Contribuidor — 277 exemplares
The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Nineteenth Annual Collection (2006) — Contribuidor — 234 exemplares
A Convergence of Birds: Original Fiction and Poetry Inspired by Joseph Cornell (2001) — Contribuidor — 191 exemplares
Field of Fantasies: Baseball Stories of the Strange and Supernatural (2014) — Contribuidor — 43 exemplares
Granta 2: George Steiner, The Portage to San Cristobal of A.H. (1980) — Contribuidor — 36 exemplares
Antaeus No. 64/65, Spring/Autumn 1990 - Twentieth Anniversary Issue (1990) — Contribuidor — 12 exemplares
The Review of Contemporary Fiction: Robert Coover Festschrift: Spring 2012 (2012) — Contribuidor — 5 exemplares
Etiquetado
Conhecimento Comum
- Nome legal
- Coover, Robert Lowell
- Data de nascimento
- 1932-02-04
- Sexo
- male
- Nacionalidade
- USA
- Local de nascimento
- Charles City, Iowa, USA
- Educação
- Southern Illinois University
Indiana University (BA - Slavic Studies, 1955)
University of Chicago (MA - General Studies in the Humanities, 1965) - Ocupações
- writer
- Organizações
- Electronic Literature Organization (Co-founder)
United States Navy
American Academy of Arts and Letters (Literature, 1987) - Prémios e menções honrosas
- Lannan Literary Award (Fiction, 2000)
Rea Award for the Short Story (1987)
American Academy of Arts and Letters Academy Award (Literature, 1976)
Membros
Críticas
The Universal Baseball Association, Inc. por Robert Coover
An enduring classic for anyone who has every spent hours rolling the APBA dice (or Strat-O-Matic, etc.) Accountant J. Henry Waugh has become so immersed in the baseball simulation he has created that then when the unthinkable--an extremely rare play--occurs, well...let's just say it gets weird from that point. Truly brilliant and unique. I suppose this could be about any obsession, but there's really no obsession like a baseball simulation, is there? :-)
1st UK edition, added mylar jacket wrapper. Purchased after Kevin Goldstein mentioned it in a fangraphs chat, and it sounded vaguely familiar.
I am certain I read this during my 'living at the library' stage - maybe 10 to 15 years old? There is some mush in the middle at an imaginary wake, and the concluding chapter is very weird as in the future the simulation seems to take over the novel.
That said, a fun, fast read.
I am certain I read this during my 'living at the library' stage - maybe 10 to 15 years old? There is some mush in the middle at an imaginary wake, and the concluding chapter is very weird as in the future the simulation seems to take over the novel.
That said, a fun, fast read.
This neat little novella of surrealistic noir by Coover illustrated with appropriately grotesque illustrations by Spiegelman is an entertaining piece of fiction with a subtext of cultural criticism. It’s an expertly executed tale of law and disorder.
"what a strange and dizzying dream time is!"
Listas
Prémios
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Associated Authors
Estatísticas
- Obras
- 62
- Also by
- 43
- Membros
- 4,969
- Popularidade
- #5,042
- Avaliação
- 3.6
- Críticas
- 97
- ISBN
- 198
- Línguas
- 11
- Marcado como favorito
- 18
- Pedras de toque
- 136