Most Popular Books by Mitch Cullin

The basis for the Major Motion Picture Mr. Holmes starring Ian McKellen and Laura Linney and directed by Bill Condon. It is 1947, and the long-retired Sherlock Holmes, now 93, lives in a remote Sussex farmhouse with his housekeeper and her young son. He tends to his bees, writes in his journal, and grapples with the diminishing powers of his mind. But in the twilight of his life, as people continue to look to him for answers, Holmes revisits a case that may provide him with answers of his own to questions he didn’t even know he was asking–about life, about love, and about the limits of the mind’s ability to know. A novel of exceptional grace and literary sensitivity, A Slight Trick of the Mind is a brilliant imagining of our greatest fictional detective and a stunning inquiry into the mysteries of human connection.

A look at the world through the eyes of a wildly imaginative young girl in contemporary Texas.

From acclaimed author Mitch Cullin, whose previous books have been described by The New York Times as brilliant and beautiful...rhythmic and telling, comes Undersurface, a chilling page-turner that recalls Alfred Hitchcock and novelist Kobo Abe at his most existential. Probing the complex relationship between outward appearances and inward states of profound want, it is a story that at turns is intriguing and sordid, poetic and allusive, told in a compact yet intense manner, offering a distinctive take on a society far more complicated than what Americans often gather from their televisions and newspaper headlines.Based roughly on real events, this fictional account follows its oblique protagonist as he moves through the loitering subculture found within public toilets and pornographic arcades, and, in the process, finds himself loosing everything he values, including his own grip on reality.A mystery of both memory and mistaken identity, Undersurface is a starkly written, haunting novel about double lives, compulsion, and human sexuality, where secret desires lead to devastating circumstances.As the carefully crafted plot twists in ever suspenseful directions, we are drawn toward a startling, possibly unavoidable conclusion, one which resonates long after the book has been set aside.

A novel on Willy Keeler, a high-school football hero in Texas. A naive sort, Keeler is introduced to the gritty side of life by Ramona, a sexy older woman with underworld connections.

The stories and characters in this diverse collection of stories from the acclaimed novelist Mitch Cullin provide a fascinating gloss on events that have taken place in the second half of the 20th century. They begin at a remote Japanese beach house and end on an unnamed Alaskan island. These are stories about isolation, remembrances of past experiences, and the sometimes inaccurate nature of memory. Cullin''s stories examine individuals who have survived momentous, often horrific, social upheavals-where relationships and common day-to-day life are suddenly shaken by unforeseen circumstances. `From the Place in the Valley Deep in the Forest'' is a collection that deftly suggests we are all emigrants from personal histories we recall only fleetingly-moments which draw us back, but, as we imagine them, seem increasingly difficult to grasp. These polished and graceful stories are further evidence of the kind of work that makes Cullin one of our best young writers. "If something of the experimentalist shows in Cullin''s novels, his stories are old-fashioned in the best sense, reporting slices of life as the characters experience them in a language that is economical yet richly evocative because of its precision."-Booklist

"Branches" is a novel at once cautionary and starkly provocative, set in the "gnarled hide of West Texas", near the end of the 20th century. Sheriff Branches finds himself returning to his childhood home; revisiting his bleak childhood while contemplating a series of mysterious dog poisonings in his small community. In discovering the painful truth behind the crimes, he must also delve into his own violent past. As both a boy and a man, Branches embodies the very arbitrary nature of Justice; he roams through a grim landscape where nothing is as it appears, taking the reader headlong toward an unsettling, horrific resolution.

Sixty-eight-year-old Hollis and his wife Debra have settled into their golden years in a gated community outside of Tucson, Arizona. Although they are devoted to each other, events that took place decades earlier, when Hollis fought in the Korean War, have left him with a deep-seated trauma — and with a secret he has never been able to share with his wife. As a reluctant Hollis revisits his past after his wife becomes dangerously ill, we see just how much the years of war changed his life forever. In rapturous prose, Cullin captures in The Post-War Dream the complexity of a marriage and the indelible force of the past on one man''s life.

At Eric''s Rotisserie, Bing sat outside by himself, nursing white zinfandel beneath the large sunshade that jutted from the center of his table, while a blustery wind roamed across campus -- swirling dead leaves and bits of trash around the chairs and tables, flapping the awnings on the massive umbrellas. The weather kept the patio abandoned, and Bing preferred it that way -- no chatty couples nearby, no loudmouth students talking about sports, or, even worse, popular music. On this chilly afternoon, he didn''t care that he was alone. He didn''t care that he''d left his coat in his office. And, for a moment, he almost didn''t mind that his head wasn''t quite screwed on tightly today.In Cosmology of Bing Mitch Cullin offers a tale of intersecting lives during one school year in Houston: the college student and his artist roommate, the reclusive poet, the astronomer studying a supernova at a remote West Texas observatory, the young Japanese woman hopelessly in love with her gay friend -- and at the center of this group is Bing Owen, a college professor who drowns his heartbreak, paranoia, and secret desires with alcohol. It''s a darkly humorous novel about longing, buried feelings and muted relationships, forgotten poetry and thrown pies -- in which the mysteries of love, the interconnectedness of individuals, and the inexplicable nature of attraction occupy the same microcosm as exploding stars, ghost lights, and specters from the past.

Estamos en 1947. Sherlock Holmes se retiró de su labor como investigador hace ya mucho tiempo y ahora es un anciano de noventa y tres años. Vive en una granja remota, en Sussex, con su ama de llaves y el joven hijo de esta. Cada día, Mr. Holmes atiende a sus abejas, escribe en su diario y se da cuenta de que va perdiendo facultades. Aunque siguen proponiéndole que investigue algunos extraños casos, él está tan alejado de esa vida que no quiere ni escucharlos. Se ha convertido en un hombre gruñón y encerrado en los recuerdos. A través de esos recuerdos llega a un momento de su vida en que tiene que plantearse preguntas que, tal vez, ni él mismo sabía que tenía que resolver, y reflexionará sobre la vida, el amor, los límites de las habilidades mentales y sobre la muerte: la suya propia y la de aquellos que le rodean. Mr. Holmes es una recreación excepcional de los últimos años del detective más conocido del mundo y una novela arrolladora sobre los misterios de las relaciones humanas. La crítica ha dicho... «Extraordinario... Nuestro héroe (nuestro eterno héroe) nunca ha sido más heroico, ni más humano.» The Village Voice «Desgarradora y genialmente escrita.» San Francisco Chronicle

Aposentado há décadas, Sherlock Holmes mora numa fazenda em Sussex, onde cria abelhas com a ajuda de Roger, o filho da empregada. Além do apiário, o velho detetive gosta de passar o tempo relembrando casos memoráveis, que ele registra diligentemente em um diário. Com isso, tenta juntar os fragmentos remotos de uma de suas aventuras mais marcantes, ocorrida há mais de cinquenta anos. Empenhado nessa empreitada, Holmes embarca em uma viagem rumo ao Japão do pós-guerra e acaba se deparando com um novo mistério: descobrir o destino do pai de seu anfitrião no país, Sr. Umezaki. Enquanto isso, na Inglaterra, Roger explora o escritório do ilustre detetive e lê avidamente seu diário, na tentativa de entender a mente e o coração de um homem tão único. "Intercalando lembranças de relacionamentos importantes que Holmes teve ao longo da vida, seus casos de amor, as amizades e um inesperado sentimento paternal, o romance de Mitch Cullin explora o lado humano de um Sherlock Holmes colocado diante dos surpreendentes mistérios da vida e da morte, sobre os quais ele ainda não tem a menor pista. Reflexões que, na voz de Holmes, mostram o efeito indelével que o envelhecimento exerce sobre o modo como enxergamos o mundo." The Washington Post “Extraordinário. O eterno herói nunca foi tão heroico. Ou tão humano.” The Village Voice

Sono trascorsi quarantaquattro anni da quando Sherlock Holmes ha abbandonato il suo appartamento in Baker Street e si è trasferito in un cottage sul versante meridionale delle colline del Sussex. Aveva quarantanove anni allora, e il trambusto delle strade di Londra, così come gli intricati pantani architettati dalle menti criminali, all’improvviso non lo attirarono più. Ora è un novantreenne con i capelli candidi, folti e lunghi e la pelle che sembra un velo sottile di carta di riso sopra un fragile scheletro. A volte si fruga in tasca alla ricerca di un sigaro o di un cerino introvabile; a volte dimentica volti e fatti, visti e accaduti giusto qualche istante prima. A dispetto, però, di questi imperscrutabili cedimenti della memoria, è ancora agile di corpo e di mente e il suo sguardo conserva una luce che gli anni non hanno smorzato. La vita nel Sussex va, dunque, oltre il semplice appagamento. Holmes trascorre la maggior parte delle sue ore di veglia nella serena solitudine del suo studio oppure tra le creature che costituiscono l’oggetto delle sue cure da quarantaquattro anni a questa parte: le api. Roger, il figlio sveglio di Mrs Munro, la governante di casa, lo aiuta agli alveari. E sebbene non apprezzi molto la compagnia dei bambini, Holmes non può negare che quel ragazzo, così appassionato nell’apprendere i fondamenti dell’apicultura e così entusiasta del regalo delle api giapponesi da lui portate dal faticoso viaggio nel paese del Sol Levante, susciti in lui autentiche emozioni paterne. Un detective è però un detective, soprattutto se reca il leggendario nome di Sherlock Holmes. Accade così che, nel chiuso del suo studio, Holmes prenda i panni di Watson, il braccio destro scomparso da un po’, e ricostruisca per iscritto una vicenda accaduta tempo addietro: il bizzarro e irrisolto caso di una giovane donna che, dopo aver appreso a suonare un’armonica a vetro – uno strumento i cui toni acuti e penetranti avevano per molti poteri diabolici o divini, a seconda dei punti di vista –, va incontro a un tragico destino. Mr Holmes è un libro brillante sulla vita, sull’amore e sugli scherzi che la memoria può giocare anche al più logico degli investigatori. Un romanzo avvincente, che segna il ritorno di uno dei personaggi più celebri della letteratura e più amati dal pubblico. L’opera ha avuto una trasposizione cinematografica accolta con entusiasmo dalla critica al Festival di Berlino, un film in cui il ruolo dell’anziano Sherlock Holmes è magistralmente interpretato da Ian McKellen. «Mitch Cullin ha concepito un romanzo ambizioso e scritto meravigliosamente, in cui Holmes è alle prese con l’avanzare degli anni». Publishers Weekly «Con mano sicura Cullin trasforma l’investigatore brillante e abile, che tutti conosciamo, in un uomo che si guarda indietro anche con un po’ di nostalgia, rendendocelo sorprendentemente umano». Booklist «Straordinario! Il nostro eroe non è mai stato così eroico e, allo stesso tempo, umano». The Village Voice «Bellissimo. Mitch Cullin è un insolito osservatore della natura umana». The New York Times Book Review

Tahun 1947, dan Sherlock Holmes—sekarang 93 tahun—sedang menghabiskan masa pensiunnya di rumah peternakan di pelosok Sussex bersama seorang pengurus rumah tangga dan anak lelakinya yang masih muda. Sherlock merawat lebah-lebahnya, menulis jurnal, dan bermain-main dengan kekuatan pikirannya yang mulai melemah. Tetapi di senja kehidupannya itu, karena orang-orang terus saja mencari dirinya untuk menjawab pertanyaan-pertanyaan mereka, Holmes meninjau kembali sebuah kasus yang mungkin akan menjawab pertanyaan pribadinya yang bahkan tak dia sadari—tentang hidup, tentang cinta, dan tentang batasan kemampuan pikiran untuk mencari tahu. [Mizan, Hikmah, Novel, Indonesia]

Struggling to make sense of his life in America, prepubescent immigrant Samuel Chu grapples with the mysteries of learning a language, navigates the urban streets of Los Angeles on a pair of roller skates in the dubious company of ghostly strangers, and finds himself at odds with his young mother when it comes to her unrealistic expectations about who he should be. An affectionate chronicle of one boy''s formative months in a new country, Everything Beautiful is Far Away is also an intimate portrait of the complicated relationship between a mother and her only child. "Funny, poetic, often surreal, and beautifully written... A subtle, modern metaphorical retelling of Siddhartha''s journey beyond the palace and out into the world." -Lin Bo-Hua, A Year of a Thousand Cranes

Soon to be a Major Motion Picture starring Ian McKellen and Laura Linney and directed by Bill Condon. It is 1947, and the long-retired Sherlock Holmes, now 93, lives in a remote Sussex farmhouse with his housekeeper and her young son. He tends to his bees, writes in his journal, and grapples with the diminishing powers of his mind. But in the twilight of his life, as people continue to look to him for answers, Holmes revisits a case that may provide him with answers of his own to questions he didn’t even know he was asking–about life, about love, and about the limits of the mind’s ability to know. A novel of exceptional grace and literary sensitivity, Mr. Holmes is a brilliant imagining of our greatest fictional detective and a stunning inquiry into the mysteries of human connection.

Sussex, 1947. Sherlock Holmes vit retiré d''un monde dont les mutations et le tapage absurde lui échappent de plus en plus. Seuls le préoccupent à présent ses abeilles, l''écriture et le déclin de sa mémoire. Mais certains êtres cherchent encore auprès de lui des réponses essentielles sur la vie, l''amour ou les limites terriblement humaines de la raison, provoquant la résurgence d''émotions que Holmes avaient si longtemps enfouies, fissurant sa maîtrise légendaire... Dans ce portrait subtil et doux-amer d''une figure mythique, réflexion sur l''absence du père, le temps qui passe et les barrières intérieures que l''on s''impose, Mitch Cullin mène l''enquête, entrelaçant trois histoires, trois temps de la vie de Holmes, et porte sur le personnage un éclairage inédit et émouvant.

Anti-héros à la Jim Thompson, le shérif Branches est un fervent partisan de l''ordre doublé d''un époux fidèle. Mais derrière l''homme de loi et sa foi dans les valeurs de l''Amérique redneck se cache un personnage complexe, habité par la violence et porté par ses pulsions meurtrières. Mitch Cullin - auteur, notamment, de Tideland, adapté sur grand écran par Terry Gilliam - livre un oppressant roman noir en vers libres, unanimement salué par la critique à sa sortie aux Etats-Unis.

Ce n''était pas la nervosité qui le poussait dehors dans la nuit. Pas la nervosité qui avait ouvert cette fissure sombre dans son esprit, qui avait rendu sa maison, sa famille et son travail abrutissants, presque dévitalisés. Comment lui donner un nom, et comment l''expliquer à ceux qui l''aimaient; comment y trouver une définition ou une logique quand ça le saisissait par degrés, l''attirait jusqu''à devenir essentiel. Sa vie dérapa cette nuit-là, rien de flagrant ni de considérable, mais elle dérapa, il le comprend à présent. Il avait suffi de cinq dollars en jetons dorés et d''une porte blanche qui s''ouvrait sur l''obscurité. A pic est le récit audacieux et poétique d''une descente aux enfers. Celle d''un Américain moyen, mari aimant et père exemplaire, lentement aspiré vers le fond. Un roman noir aux accents pornographiques, rythmé et profondément sombre.

1947 finds Holmes living in a Sussex farmhouse at 93 with a housekeeper and her son, Roger, who discovers evidence of a case never before reported, a case involving a Mrs. Keller, the long-ago object of Holmes''s affection.

Een elfjarig meisje krijgt het hard te verduren als ze alleen achterblijft op een afgelegen boerderij in Texas na de dood van haar vader aan een overdosis.

De inmiddels hoogbejaarde speurder Sherlock Holmes vecht tegen de gebreken van de ouderdom.