Train Dreams by Denis Johnson

Denis Johnson is one of my favorites. He's done some genre stuff and some big stories but I think my favorite thing he does is take a small story but make it seem huge. Fiskadoro and Angels both felt like that to me. Agreed on the Carver comparison, I feel like Johnson picked up the torch and ran with it after Carver passed away. I wonder who grabs the torch next.

I personally took the title to mean the invasiveness of some dreams. The ghost, the nughtmeres he had, just the violent train that runs through your tranquil freedom of the night, screaming its presence.

Excellent! I love this little book. In terms of "bigger" reads, "Tree of Smoke" by Johnson is so worth it.

Such a great book. Glad you got around to it. ;)

I read this one earlier this year. It's very good. I read Jesus's Son afterwards and wasn't so impressed.

Happy New Year Clifford.

“In everyday life there were explanations for everything, and in abnormal circumstances, there were explanations for the explanations.” An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter, Cesar Aira