The Final Fate of the Alligators

These male-centered stories, most of which are set in New York City, were written in the 1960s. Using vivid and precise language, Hoagland captures the speech and mannerisms of his many and varied characters. From the man who keeps an alligator in an apartment bathtub, to the mad research scientist closeted in his lab, to the Chinese laundryman enjoying a day at the beach, to the last Irish boxer, Hoagland weaves a fabric representing urban life. The bizarre, pathetic, hopeful, derelict, racial, naive, and poor are all here, creating an extremely poignant picture of New York at that time. In its mix of opposites, its depiction of extremes, this book humanizes the city and emphasizes the continuity of at least some of its components. Recommended for public libraries.- Joanna M. Burkhardt, Univ. of Connecticut at Torrington Lib.Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.