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Fb2 The Fruit of Stone ePub

by Mark Spragg

Category:	Genre Fiction
Subcategory:	Fiction
Author:	Mark Spragg
ISBN:	1573222232
ISBN13:	978-1573222235
Language:	English
Publisher:	Riverhead Hardcover; First Printing edition (August 5, 2002)
Pages:	304
Fb2 eBook:	1499 kb
ePub eBook:	1745 kb
Digital formats:	lrf mbr txt lit

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Mark Spragg will be the featured speaker at the Laramie County Library .

Mark Spragg will be the featured speaker at the Laramie County Library Booklovers' Bash. August 7, 2012 ·. Mark Spragg will be speaking Thursday, August 9th at 7:00pm as a part of Powell Library's Centennial celebration. Mark Spragg is the author of Where Rivers Change Direction, and the novels The Fruit of Stone, An Unfinished Life, and Bone Fire.

Mark Spragg (born 1952) is an American writer. He is the author of three novels and one book of nonfiction, mostly set in Wyoming, where he grew up. Mark Spragg grew up on the Crossed Sabers Ranch, a Wyoming dude ranch eight miles east of Yellowstone National Park. He graduated from the University of Wyoming in Laramie in 1974, with a major in English. He worked on an oil rig, shoed horses, and led pack trips to support his writing.

The Fruit of Stone book. Mark Spragg's much-anticipated fiction debut is the story of the lifelong friendship between two men and their love for one woman who eludes them

The Fruit of Stone book. Mark Spragg's much-anticipated fiction debut is the story of the lifelong friendship between two men and their love for one woman who eludes them. When she leaves her husband for a new life, the two men follow her on a journey across the American West that forces truths and tests the extremes of love and loyalty.

Mark Spragg's first novel is the story of the lifelong friendship between two Wyoming ranchers, McEban and Bennett, and their love for the same woman-Gretchen Simpson

Mark Spragg's first novel is the story of the lifelong friendship between two Wyoming ranchers, McEban and Bennett, and their love for the same woman-Gretchen Simpson. Gretchen is Bennett's wife, but as the novel opens, she has just spent the night with McEban. She leaves them both for a new life, but the two men follow her on a journey across the American West, though Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, testing the limits of their friendship and love.

Mark Spragg's fiction debut is the story of the lifelong friendship between two men and their love for the woman who eludes them. Though Gretchen is married to his best friend, McEban has been in love with her since they were children growing up on adjacent ranches in Wyoming. When she leaves her husband for a new life, the two men follow her on an odyssey across the American West that forces truths and tests the ultimate, mystical extremes of love and loyalty. Muscular, vivid, wise, tender, funny, and true: Mark Spragg's much-anticipated first novel is entirely unforgettable.

Mark Spragg’s first novel is the story of the lifelong friendship between two Wyoming ranchers, McEban and Bennett. has been added to your Cart.

About The Fruit of Stone. Mark Spragg’s first novel is the story of the lifelong friendship between two Wyoming ranchers, McEban and Bennett, and their love for the same woman–Gretchen Simpson. Gretchen is Bennett’s wife, but as the novel opens, she has just spent the night with McEban.

by. Spragg, Mark, 1952-. New York : Riverhead Books. inlibrary; printdisabled; ; ctlibrary; china; americana.

The Fruit of Stone (Paperback). Mark Spragg (author) . Please provide me with your latest book news, views and details of Waterstones’ special offers. As much as it a tragic romance, his novel is also a passionate love letter to the land" Observer "Mark Spragg owns one of the truest most original new voices in American letters" - Kent Haruf, author of Plainsong Added to basket.

Comments to eBook The Fruit of Stone

Blacknight

Beautifully written story with memorable characters. I actually read the 2nd book (An Unfinished Life) in the "trilogy" first, and loved it so much I had to find this book. The book explores friendship, loyalty, love and betrayal, with an understated style that lends power to the story.

Nikohn

I had just visited Jackson Wyoming and the Grand Tetons/Yellowstone which is the setting for this novel. the author's words capture the emotion, tone, light of that beautiful land. The characters lives and lack of choices or decisions not taken provide the drama.Well done and a good read

The Fruit of Stone (Vintage Contemporaries)

Darkshaper

Unforgettable characters portraying common place human conflict in the grandeur of the Wyoming/Montana counry, Minimalism on steroids.

Whitescar

Fun, good read. Spragg one of the best contemporary writers, with a great syle.

Malodor

This is a very powerful and finely crafted book. Deeply moving.

Lucam

One of the best books I've ever read. Really enjoyed it!

Adrielmeena

I do not read that many novels, but when I do, I want them to be the quality of this one. Spragg has a style that is absolutely lyrical. His descriptions of the country (the Western United States, in this case), of people, animals, towns and motion, are truly amazing. His ability to fascinate you with the simple description of replacing a fence post or setting a trap for rats is rather remarkable. Needless to say, I enjoyed ever word of this book.
The plot, which has been gone over with a fine tooth comb here already, is quite simple. There are two friends. The one friend has always been in love with the other friend's wife. He has a brief affair (one night) with her. The wife suddenly leaves. The two friends began a quest across several states to find the run-a-way wife/lover/girl friend. They travel together with a young Indian girl, her brother, a dog and a blind horse. This is one of those books though that plot does not really matter. It is the writing that counts. Not only is it poetically descriptive, but the author can also be funny. Actually, he is hilarious at times. The conversations between some of the characters call for an instant rereading as you say to yourself "did he/she actually say that?"

More importantly though, as one other reviewer has pointed out, this is a story about love. Love between a man and a woman, love between friends, love of the land, love of home and love of family. The author uses the flash back device and while you are reading the story, you are actually reading two stories; the one taking place here and now, and the flashbacks to the life of the main character(s). This is interesting and well done. Not ever author can pull this off, but Spragg has managed to do so quite well. I hate to classify this one as a modern western, because that would be a bit misleading. Yes, it does take place in the west and is centered on ranches and ranch culture, but it is so much more. It is more the story of people, than anything else.

For an enjoyable read and a look at some very, very good writing, I cannot recommend this one high enough. As a side note...per usual, ignore the nonsense printed her in the small thing by Publisher's Weekly. Per usual they have missed the mark again.

Don Blankenship

Written with a sharp eye for detail and a keen ear for dialogue, "The Fruit of Stone" is a delectable novel set in the modern West. Maybe it's the distant horizons--the distance a person can see from a high spot in the road, for instance--that gives Western fiction a certain stoic quality. I liked Spragg's memoir, "Where The Rivers Change Direction" a bit more than "The Fruit of Stone," but both have their foundation in the raw, dusty world of big land and big sky. The book lives in the world of rock, dirt, timber, stone, wind, clouds, blood, dust, corrals, barns, cows, horses, hay, feed, smoke, tractors, trailers, gardens, fences, pick-up trucks, sweat, shovels, rifles and stars. The men shoot pool, fix horseshoes, trap pack rats, find trouble. On every page you can taste the air and smell the smells. If you don't like things Western, read elsewhere.

"The Fruit of Stone" follows the tracks of Barnum McEban, a 41-year-old bachelor, and his best friend, Bennett Reilly and as they head out on a cross-state journey on the trail of Bennett's wife and McEban's old girlfriend, Gretchen. The road trip takes awhile to get underway. In fact, "The Fruit of Stone" is not built for speed. Poetry-loving, Milton-loving Gretchen disappears for most of the book. I would have preferred to see more of her. But McEban and Bennett do make a fine pair and you can sense the inexorable tug of tragedy as the scenes unfold. At the same time, you will get to know two strikingly different men with two distinctly different views of the world.

My minor complaints were McEban's overall flat demeanor and the somewhat overly precious ending but "The Fruit of Stone" is a finely chiseled piece of writing.

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