title: Thirteen Ways of Looking: Fiction
author:  Colum McCann 
description: &ldquo;Extraordinary . . . incandescent.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>Chicago Tribune</i></b><br><br>&ldquo;The irreducible mystery of human experience ties this small collection together, and in each of these stories [Colum] McCann explores that theme in some strikingly effective ways. . . . McCann has perfected a method of finely blending his own narration with his characters&rsquo; thoughts and dialogue. . . . [The first story] is as fascinating as it is poignant. . . . [The second] captures the mundane and mysterious aspects of shaping characters from the gray clay of words, placing them in realistic settings and breathing life into their lungs. . . . That he makes the story so emotionally compelling is a sign of his genius. . . . The most remarkable [piece] is <i>Sh&rsquo;khol</i>. . . . Caught in the rushing currents of this drama, you know you&rsquo;re reading a little masterpiece. . . . [It&rsquo;s] only one of the treasures in this collection.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>The Washington Post</i></b><br> <b><i>&#160;</i></b><br> &ldquo;McCann is a writer of power and subtlety and beauty. . . . The powerful title story loiters in the mind long after you&rsquo;ve read it.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;Sarah Lyall, <i>The New York Times</i></b><br> <b><i>&#160;</i></b><br> &ldquo;[McCann] unspools complex and unforgettable stories in this, his first collection in more than a decade.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>The Boston Globe</i></b><br> <b><i>&#160;</i></b><br> &ldquo;McCann is a passionate writer whose impulse is always toward a generous understanding of his diverse characters.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>The Wall Street Journal</i></b><br> <b><i>&#160;</i></b><br> &ldquo;McCann&rsquo;s characters in this new work&mdash;whether nuns or judges or writers&mdash;are mostly ordinary people encountering extraordinary situations often touched by loss. Powerful, profound, and deeply empathetic, McCann&rsquo;s beautifully wrought writing in <i>Thirteen Ways of Looking</i> glides off the page.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>BuzzFeed</i></b><br> <b><i>&#160;</i></b><br> &ldquo;In just three short stories and one novella, McCann weaves the magic that made <i>Let the Great World Spin</i> so acclaimed&mdash;especially in one brilliant short piece of metafiction in which the process of writing a story becomes interwoven with the story created.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>The Huffington Post</i></b><br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i>
zlib_text: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either
  the product of the author’s Imagination or are used fictitiously, and any
  resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events
  or locales is entirely coincidental.
  
  The Penguin Putnam Inc. World Wide Web site address is  
  <http://www.penguinputnam.com>
  
  
  
  
  
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  _“I_ ’ve been thinking.”
  
  “Will wonders never cease!” How he loved this earnest boy with his intense
  gaze and tousled hair and faithful remnant of freckles.
  
  “I don’t want my father’s name anymore.” Dooley stared into the blazing fire
  on the study hearth, his brow furrowed.
  
  There was a long silence; the fire crackled; the clock ticked.
  
  Dooley turned to face him. “So what if I take your name?”
  
  Dooley Kavanagh! It was something he’d discussed with Cynthia, and prayed
  about more than a few times. Now he did his own staring