Tinkers (novel)
Encyclopedia
Tinkers is the first novel by American author Paul Harding
. The novel tells the tale of George Washington Crosby, a clock repairman, who, on his deathbed, recounts his life story and his father's struggles with epilepsy
to his family. The novel was published by Bellevue Literary Press, a sister organization of the Bellevue Literary Review.
Tinkers won the 2010
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
. The board called the novel "a powerful celebration of life in which a New England father and son, through suffering and joy, transcend their imprisoning lives and offer new ways of perceiving the world and mortality." Tinkers was also shortlisted for the Mercantile Library First Novel Award, named one of the hundred Best Novels of 2009 by Publishers Weekly
and Amazon.com
, and one of the Best Books of 2009 by NPR
and by Library Journal
.
enjoyed Harding's "skillful evocation [and] mosaic of memories". The Boston Globe
called the novel a "poignant exploration of where we may journey when the clock has barely a tick or two left and we really can't go anywhere at all." The New York Times
failed to review the novel before the Pulitzer Prize announcement, noting that it was the first novel since A Confederacy of Dunces
in 1981
to come from a small publisher and win that award.
Paul Harding (author)
Paul Harding is an American musician and author, best known for his debut novel Tinkers which won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the 2010 PEN/Robert Bingham Fellowship for Writers. Harding was drummer for the band Cold Water Flat from approximately the founding in 1990 to 1997. Harding...
. The novel tells the tale of George Washington Crosby, a clock repairman, who, on his deathbed, recounts his life story and his father's struggles with epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
to his family. The novel was published by Bellevue Literary Press, a sister organization of the Bellevue Literary Review.
Tinkers won the 2010
2010 Pulitzer Prize
The 2010 Pulitzer Prizes were awarded on Monday, April 12, 2010. In journalism, The Washington Post won four awards while The New York Times won three. For the first time, an online source, ProPublica, won in what had previously been the sole province of print. A musical, Next to Normal, won the...
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction has been awarded for distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life. It originated as the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel, which was awarded between 1918 and 1947.-1910s:...
. The board called the novel "a powerful celebration of life in which a New England father and son, through suffering and joy, transcend their imprisoning lives and offer new ways of perceiving the world and mortality." Tinkers was also shortlisted for the Mercantile Library First Novel Award, named one of the hundred Best Novels of 2009 by Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
and Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, and one of the Best Books of 2009 by NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
and by Library Journal
Library Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
.
Reviews
The Los Angeles Times praised "a writer [who] describes something so well -- snow, oranges, dirt -- that you can smell it or feel it or sense it in the room." The New YorkerThe New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
enjoyed Harding's "skillful evocation [and] mosaic of memories". The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
called the novel a "poignant exploration of where we may journey when the clock has barely a tick or two left and we really can't go anywhere at all." The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
failed to review the novel before the Pulitzer Prize announcement, noting that it was the first novel since A Confederacy of Dunces
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Confederacy of Dunces is a picaresque novel written by John Kennedy Toole, published by LSU Press in 1980, 11 years after the author's suicide. The book was published through the efforts of writer Walker Percy and Toole's mother Thelma Toole, quickly becoming a cult classic, and later a...
in 1981
1981 Pulitzer Prize
-Journalism awards:*Public Service:**Charlotte Observer, for its series on "Brown Lung: A Case of Deadly Neglect.*Local General or Spot News Reporting:...
to come from a small publisher and win that award.
External links
- "Word of mouth helped propel Mass. novelist to Pulitzer", By Geoff Edgers, The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
, April 15, 2010 - Photos of the first edition of Tinkers