Firelight

A mother and her son dream of a life beyond their means in this classic short story by Tobias Wolff.

"Firelight" tells the story of a mother and her son who are spending the afternoon viewing apartments on a chilly day in Seattle, Washington. The two have no intention of renting one - they can only afford to live in a meager boarding house. Nevertheless, they spend every Saturday wandering through apartments and department stores, dreaming of a different life.

On this particular afternoon, their last stop is a beautiful Victorian home - far beyond anything they could ever afford. And for the first time, wishful thoughts blur with harsh reality as the son becomes entranced by the apartment and the life it represents.

©2008 Tobias Wolff (P)2013 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

3 stars

This was a pretty decent story about a boy whose mom promises him a nice apartment and they go to look at them but always return to their boarding house.

Firelight

So far this is a confusing story and I am not sure how I feel about it.

If you’re looking for nonstop action

… Tobias Wolfe might not be your guy. Some stories are luckier than others, but his bread and butter are slice-of-life stories with authentic characters. If that’s what you’re after, few do it better.

Enjoy ease, familiarity of writing, narration

I prefer complicated novels, but Wolff & Heald reel you into familiar places, the lovely and unsatisfactory truth of memory and reflection.

Anthony Heald and Tobias Wolff make a brilliant combination.

Wolff at his best

Tobias Wolff writes about university life from an insider's perspective, with sly wit and perfect irony.