The Nuclear AgeThe Nuclear Age is about one man's slightly insane attempt to come to terms with a dilemma that confronts us all -- a little thing called The Bomb. The year is 1995, and William Cowling has finally found the courage to meet his fears head-on. Cowling's courage takes the form of a hole that he begins digging in his backyard in an effort to "bury" all thoughts of the apocalypse. Cowling's wife, however, is ready to leave him; his daughter has taken to calling him "nutto"; and Cowling's own checkered past seems to be rising out of the crater taking shape on his lawn, besieging him with flashbacks and memories of a life that's had more than its share of turmoil. Brilliantly interweaving his masterful storytelling powers with dark, surreal humor and empathy for characters caught in circumstances beyond their control, Tim O'Brien brings us his most entertaining novel to date. At once wildly comic and sneakily profound, The Nuclear Age is also utterly unforgettable. |
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arms asked blue Bobbi bombs burning C-4 explosives called cheerleader chemistry set Christmas lights could've crazy Crazy Horse Daddy dark dead door dream Ebenezer Keezer Eugene McCarthy eyes fallout shelter fantasy father feel felt finally firing device flashes fucking gist goddamn guess guns hair hand happen hard hate head hear hole says hour imagine Jane Fonda Key West kissed knew later laughed lights listen looked Mars bar mean Melinda says morning mother move Nethro nice night nodded Nuclear Nuclear war Number okay Ollie Winkler Peverson Ping-Pong Ping-Pong table Rafferty remember Sagua la Grande sane Scholheimer seemed shit shrugged Sirhan Sirhan sleep smell smiled sound stared stood stop sure talk tell there's things Thorianite thought Tim O'Brien Tina Roebuck told took turned voice walk watched whispered William yelled