The Wonders of the Invisible World (Magill’s Literary Annual 1991-2005)
At a glance:
- Author: David Gates
- First Published: 1999
- Type of Work: Short fiction
- Time of Work: The 1990’s
- Setting: Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York State
- Principal Characters: Billy, Paula Wilson-Sturdivant, Len, Finn, Faye, Rick, Holly, Lew
- Genres: Short fiction
- Subjects: New York, North America or North Americans, Northeast, U.S., United States or Americans, Folkloric or magical people, Gay men, Homosexuality or homosexuals, New York City, New England, Mental illness, Adultery, Accidents, Witches or witchcraft, Devils or demons, 1990’s, Middle age, Aging
- Locales: Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont
David Gates established himself as a first-rate novelist with the publication of Jernigan (1991). A highly entertaining but bleak first-person narrative, Jernigan depicts an unrepentant alcoholic who makes all the wrong choices and drifts from the periphery of respectable middle-class life. Both aware and unaware of the devastating consequences of his actions, he poisons his relations with his wife until she suicidally crashes her car, and he shoots himself in the hand just to see what it is like. After he loses his job, his life unravels with a mixture of bravado and...
[The entire page is 1872 words long]
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