Bats out of hell

Love and torment, lunacy and desire, tenderness and war - the stories in Bats Out of Hell provide a brilliant, dazzling odyssey into American life. A man is possessed by the spirit of an eighteenth-century noblewoman every time he plays chess; a crippled boy yearns for brotherhood; dreaming and spinning lies to one another, a group of old men wait for death. No one but Barry Hannah could create this vivid world - and explore the nature of lust, captivity, and love in marriage. Barry Hannah's reputation as a master of the short story, first established in 1978 with the publication of Airships, is magnified in this volatile, long-awaited collection of new stories. Astonishing in range and in portrayal of the human heart, these fierce and radar-perfect stories give us individuals in whom hilarity and pain combine with true and startling clarity.