The Departure Lounge: Stories and a NovellaWhat happens when people land on unfamiliar moral and cultural turf? The five stories in Paul Eggers' The Departure Lounge examine that question, focusing on characters in either voluntary or involuntary exile--men and women forced to confront their deepest emotions and beliefs, removed from familiar, comforting surroundings. In one story an academic flees his family, arriving in Africa only to find that his African host is dealing with a similar crisis. In another, an American chess hustler in Africa is forced to come to terms with his own sense of right and wrong. In yet another, an old Vietnamese man now living in California finds that his relationship with his now-dead daughter was not what he had assumed. In the story "Hey," a young chess star confronts the death of his brother in the Vietnam War. And in the final story, an aging American couple--former UN relief workers--return to their refugee-camp worksite in Malaysia, discovering what they had forgotten about themselves. In lyrical, tough-minded prose, Eggers' stories illuminate in unexpected ways the profundity of cross-cultural experiences, as well as deliver fresh insights into the complexity of identity. |
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Page 68
... looked glistening and plastic . His limbs were hairless . Only his eyes , Neil recalled , seemed unaffected . They ... looked first at Peter , then at Neil . " Is there something going on ? " It was an awkward moment , and Neil looked to ...
... looked glistening and plastic . His limbs were hairless . Only his eyes , Neil recalled , seemed unaffected . They ... looked first at Peter , then at Neil . " Is there something going on ? " It was an awkward moment , and Neil looked to ...
Page 70
... looked slyly at Neil . " You are hungry ? " he asked . Neil said he was . " Good , " the professor said , nodding . “ There will be many vendors along the road soon . " Up ahead was a slow - moving pickup truck . It took Neil a moment ...
... looked slyly at Neil . " You are hungry ? " he asked . Neil said he was . " Good , " the professor said , nodding . “ There will be many vendors along the road soon . " Up ahead was a slow - moving pickup truck . It took Neil a moment ...
Page 88
... looked first at Jenny , then at Peter . Neither looked at him back . " Today is Tuesday , " Jenny said . " You're nowhere near water , Ray . That's the drugs talking . There's just concrete and cars outside . " Blood rushed to Neil's ...
... looked first at Jenny , then at Peter . Neither looked at him back . " Today is Tuesday , " Jenny said . " You're nowhere near water , Ray . That's the drugs talking . There's just concrete and cars outside . " Blood rushed to Neil's ...
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Annie asked Aunt Beth Aunt Binh began Bidong Bidong Island boat brother Bujumbura Burundi chair chess chess clock chessmen Cindy Citröen dark Dien door drive eyes face father felt fingers front frowned Gerard giant glass going grabbed hair Han Sui hand hard head hear heard husband Hutu imagined Jacques Jenny Kirundi knew Kuala Kuala Trengganu Lai's laughed leaned looked Malay mandarin's son Marion Maureen morning mouth move Muramvya muzungu Neil's never night nodded Okay Peter plastic Primus beer professor pulled Rassmussen refugee Rick Rueben seemed shirt shook shoulder shouted side smelled smiled soldiers someone sound spoke stared Stella and Tony stood stopped stuck Suicide by cop Tacoma talk tell thing Tina told Tony and Stella turned Tutsi Uncle Duong Viet Cong Vietnamese voice walked wanted watched waved whispered window words Xuan