From Publishers Weekly
Canin's outstanding debut, winner of a Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellowship, gathers nine stories originally published in the Atlantic, Esquire and Ploughshares, among others; two were selected for the Best American Short Stories 1985 and 1986. At 27, the gifted author, a Harvard Medical School student who was a creative writing instructor and an Iowa Review editor, informs a technical expertise with a keen sense of the dynamics of the human psyche. His far-reaching vision encompasses "The Year of Getting to Know Us," where the protagonist recognizes in himself aspects of his father's disturbing uncommunicativeness, and "American Beauty," where a teenager cannot escape his bitter older brother's grim prescription of life's inevitabilities: "You're going to turn into a son of a bitch, just like me." Several of the marvelous tales showcase love's singular, redemptive powers: an elderly couple revives their comatose relationship in "We Are Nighttime Travelers"; a daughter bribes a guard to release her mother who is caught shoplifting in "Pitch Memory"; and a straight-arrow husband lies for his wife in "Where We Are Now." With a fine attention to detail, Canin continually surprises readers as he casts the mundane in new light (for example, the young narrator of "Star Food" unloads bags of potato chips in their aluminum racks "as if I were putting children to sleep in their beds"). Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
This collection is the deserving winner of a Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellowship. The nine stories show their young author to be a worthy successor to such distinguished past winners as Philip Roth, Elizabeth Bishop, and Robert Penn Warren. Writing primarily in the first person, Canin speaks convincingly in a variety of fictional voices: a deprived Iowa teenager, a 69-year-old astronomy teacher, a troubled husband in southern California, a young woman harried by her mother's disappointments. Canin's ordinary Americans are memorable individuals caught in situations leading to sudden, still moments of comprehension. This is an engrossing achievement, recommended for all fiction collections.Starr E. Smith, Georgetown Univ. Lib., Washington, D.C.Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Boston Globe
"A glowing first book."


From AudioFile
Male self-recognition, differentiated by age and experience, is the unifying theme in these four stories from Ethan Canin's first collection. The author's narration is a bit dull and slow, with no real use of vocal characterizations. It sounds as if he is so entranced with his words that he feels no embellishment is needed. He is wrong. Canin's stories, while somewhat compelling, may not keep listeners interested enough to ignore his voice. M.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine


Review
"A series of shots that find their target with devastating accuracy and frequent grace."


Kirkus Reviews
"This is one of the strongest first story collections in years, from a generous writer with heart and style and the power to surprise."


Walker Percy
"Ethan Canin's short stories are dazzlingat times breathtaking, at other times heartbreaking."


Rhoda Koeing, New York
"Full of surprises, unexpected flights...The stories in Emperor of the Air vault with energy."


Review
"A series of shots that find their target with devastating accuracy and frequent grace."


Book Description
EMPEROR OF THE AIR "explores tricky family relationships and tender moments of self-discovery with a voice of compassion rarely found in contemporary short fiction" (San Francisco Chronicle). Whether his characters are struggling to save trees in their yards, their marriages, or themselves, Cannin renders their moments of revelation with rich observation, energy, humor, and grace.

ANNOTATION

"The way these stories transcend the ordinariness of human voices is startling." --New York Times.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The critical and popular success (New York Times bestseller) that won a Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellowship and launched Canin's career, Emperor of the Air explores tricky family relationships and tender moments of self-discovery with a voice of compassion rarely found in contemporary short fiction" (San Francisco Chronicle). As People magazine commented, "Like a spider's web, this collection of spare, precise short stories is cleverly alluring and deceptively strong."

FROM THE CRITICS

New York Times

These stories transcend the ordinariness of human voices.

Boston Globe

A glowing first book.

Publishers Weekly

Canin's outstanding debut, winner of a Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellowship, gathers nine stories originally published in the Atlantic, Esquire and Ploughshares, among others; two were selected for the Best American Short Stories 1985 and 1986. At 27, the gifted author, a Harvard Medical School student who was a creative writing instructor and an Iowa Review editor, informs a technical expertise with a keen sense of the dynamics of the human psyche. His far-reaching vision encompasses ``The Year of Getting to Know Us,'' where the protagonist recognizes in himself aspects of his father's disturbing uncommunicativeness, and ``American Beauty,'' where a teenager cannot escape his bitter older brother's grim prescription of life's inevitabilities: ``You're going to turn into a son of a bitch, just like me.'' Several of the marvelous tales showcase love's singular, redemptive powers: an elderly couple revives their comatose relationship in ``We Are Nighttime Travelers''; a daughter bribes a guard to release her mother who is caught shoplifting in ``Pitch Memory''; and a straight-arrow husband lies for his wife in ``Where We Are Now.'' With a fine attention to detail, Canin continually surprises readers as he casts the mundane in new light (for example, the young narrator of ``Star Food'' unloads bags of potato chips in their aluminum racks ``as if I were putting children to sleep in their beds''). (February 3)

Library Journal

This collection is the deserving winner of a Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellowship. The nine stories show their young author to be a worthy successor to such distinguished past winners as Philip Roth, Elizabeth Bishop, and Robert Penn Warren. Writing primarily in the first person, Canin speaks convincingly in a variety of fictional voices: a deprived Iowa teenager, a 69-year-old astronomy teacher, a troubled husband in southern California, a young woman harried by her mother's disappointments. Canin's ordinary Americans are memorable individuals caught in situations leading to sudden, still moments of comprehension. This is an engrossing achievement, recommended for all fiction collections.Starr E. Smith, Georgetown Univ. Lib., Washington, D.C.

AudioFile - Martie Engle

Male self-recognition, differentiated by age and experience, is the unifying theme in these four stories from Ethan Canin￯﾿ﾽs first collection. The author￯﾿ﾽs narration is a bit dull and slow, with no real use of vocal characterizations. It sounds as if he is so entranced with his words that he feels no embellishment is needed. He is wrong. Canin￯﾿ﾽs stories, while somewhat compelling, may not keep listeners interested enough to ignore his voice. M.R. ￯﾿ﾽAudioFile, Portland, Maine

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

"Ethan Canin's short stories are dazzling--at times breathtaking, at other times heartbreaking."  — Harper Collins - New Media

"This is one of the strongest first story collections in years, from a generous writer with heart and style and the power to surprise."  — Harper Collins - New Media

"Startling...These stories transcend the ordinariness of human voices."  — Harper Collins - New Media