--- product_id: 98982802 title: "The Largesse of the Sea Maiden: Stories" price: "€ 32.95" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.hr/products/98982802-the-largesse-of-the-sea-maiden-stories store_origin: HR region: Croatia --- # The Largesse of the Sea Maiden: Stories **Price:** € 32.95 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Largesse of the Sea Maiden: Stories - **How much does it cost?** € 32.95 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.hr](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/98982802-the-largesse-of-the-sea-maiden-stories) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Twenty-five years after Jesus’ Son, a haunting new collection of short stories on mortality and transcendence, from National Book Award winner and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Denis Johnson NATIONAL BESTSELLER • ONE OF BARACK OBAMA’S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR • ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Dwight Garner, The New York Times ; Maureen Corrigan, NPR’s Fresh Air ; Chicago Tribune ; Newsday ; New York ; AV Club ; Publishers Weekly “Ranks with the best fiction published by any American writer during this short century.”— New York “A posthumous masterpiece.”— Entertainment Weekly ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, NPR, The Boston Globe, New York Public Library, Kirkus Reviews, Bloomberg The Largesse of the Sea Maiden is the long-awaited new story collection from Denis Johnson. Written in the luminous prose that made him one of the most beloved and important writers of his generation, this collection finds Johnson in new territory, contemplating the ghosts of the past and the elusive and unexpected ways the mysteries of the universe assert themselves. Finished shortly before Johnson’s death, this collection is the last word from a writer whose work will live on for many years to come. Praise for The Largesse of the Sea Maiden “An instant classic.” — Newsday “Exceptional luminosity . . . hits a powerful vein.” — The New York Times Book Review “Grace and oblivion are inextricably yoked in these transcendent stories. . . . [Johnson’s] gift is to extract the beauty in all that brokenness.” — The Wall Street Journal “Nobody ever wrote like Denis Johnson. Nobody ever came close. . . . We’re just left with this miraculous book, these perfect stories, the last words from one of the world’s greatest writers.” —NPR Review: Horrors in the drawing room - Denis Johnson sets his stories in the most mundane and familiar settings. You're at a gathering of old friends in the living room and suddenly there is a guy telling you matter-of-factly how he lost his leg and challenging a woman to kiss the mangled stump. The rest of the stories are a similar mix of the mundane and the horrifying or embarrassingly painful. Each story crashes on to its inevitable smashup. In particular, I think men will find Johnson's writing appealing; it's brutal, shocking and yet absolutely clean and simple. No ornamentation. Just words and blood on each page. Review: Haunting final collection - Denis Johnson is one of my favorite short story writers of all time. Largesse of the Sea Maiden is the final book he worked on in his lifetime, and we are treated to five stories that are quite a bit longer than much of the prose we are used to. Each one explores existence and transcendence, moving from prison or the body to whatever comes next... which is likely nothing. Or finally, peace. Each piece is a self-aware capsule unlike much of his work that came before it. The pieces feel heavily grounded in fiction this time, even fantasy at times, and explore what freedom and relationships mean in their most elemental forms. With Johnson, there was a certain level of realism to his work. As he famously said when asked what the knife represented in ‘Emergency’ at a college book lecture, he replied, “when I was younger, I worked in an emergency room. One night, a man came in with a knife in his eye.” This collection is much different, however, and feels heavily grounded in a more metaphysical and reflective fiction rather than interpreted reality. Of course, the death of a narrator is directly self-referenced, providing a haunting final few paragraphs to one of the pieces. This collection felt like it shed the overarching drug-addled masculinity found in his other works to present a cohesive, reflective humanist reflection on the end of life and what comes next. I truly enjoyed these, and I was lucky enough to hear a preview of the works several months earlier at my MFA program as his editor read from the unreleased manuscript beside the campfire the weekend we learned of his death. It was a gorgeous night beneath the stars, something Johnson would have truly appreciated. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #102,713 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #144 in Metaphysical & Visionary Fiction (Books) #799 in Short Stories (Books) #3,362 in Literary Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.2 out of 5 stars 992 Reviews | ## Images ![The Largesse of the Sea Maiden: Stories - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71G+kblFa7L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Horrors in the drawing room *by J***. on September 16, 2019* Denis Johnson sets his stories in the most mundane and familiar settings. You're at a gathering of old friends in the living room and suddenly there is a guy telling you matter-of-factly how he lost his leg and challenging a woman to kiss the mangled stump. The rest of the stories are a similar mix of the mundane and the horrifying or embarrassingly painful. Each story crashes on to its inevitable smashup. In particular, I think men will find Johnson's writing appealing; it's brutal, shocking and yet absolutely clean and simple. No ornamentation. Just words and blood on each page. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Haunting final collection *by G***R on October 8, 2019* Denis Johnson is one of my favorite short story writers of all time. Largesse of the Sea Maiden is the final book he worked on in his lifetime, and we are treated to five stories that are quite a bit longer than much of the prose we are used to. Each one explores existence and transcendence, moving from prison or the body to whatever comes next... which is likely nothing. Or finally, peace. Each piece is a self-aware capsule unlike much of his work that came before it. The pieces feel heavily grounded in fiction this time, even fantasy at times, and explore what freedom and relationships mean in their most elemental forms. With Johnson, there was a certain level of realism to his work. As he famously said when asked what the knife represented in ‘Emergency’ at a college book lecture, he replied, “when I was younger, I worked in an emergency room. One night, a man came in with a knife in his eye.” This collection is much different, however, and feels heavily grounded in a more metaphysical and reflective fiction rather than interpreted reality. Of course, the death of a narrator is directly self-referenced, providing a haunting final few paragraphs to one of the pieces. This collection felt like it shed the overarching drug-addled masculinity found in his other works to present a cohesive, reflective humanist reflection on the end of life and what comes next. I truly enjoyed these, and I was lucky enough to hear a preview of the works several months earlier at my MFA program as his editor read from the unreleased manuscript beside the campfire the weekend we learned of his death. It was a gorgeous night beneath the stars, something Johnson would have truly appreciated. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Last words from the Master *by T***. on December 12, 2018* After reading Jesus' Son years ago, I'd wondered if Denis Johnson would ever put out another collection of stories. I've read his novels, but nothing has brought me more joy than his work in the short form. Then this book came out. Then Mr. Johnson passed away. These were the last words he left us. A collection of five long stories. The Largesse of the Sea Maiden obliterated all of my doubts as to whether he still had it in him. This collection recalls the best of what made Jesus' Son so unputdownable. I was shocked and thrilled to see Dundun brought back to the page. But I had to put this down, because I realized I was blowing through it, and would never get the pleasure of reading it for the first time again! It's that kind of a book, folks. Amplified by the fact that there will never be another Johnson release. The writing stops the breath in your throat. A stunning accomplishment. Here's a sentence from The Starlight on Idaho written in the vernacular of a recovering drug addict: "My oldest brother is somebody who the state of Texas won't let him possess scissors." I don't know why that sentence blew me away like it did. A master writing like the illiterate you run into at a gas station. That's why he's so great. He's lived both of those lives. He can bring us characters from the potholes and culverts of humanity and makes them dazzle with sordid brilliance. This collection is a revelation. I'm so sad we won't have another. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.hr/products/98982802-the-largesse-of-the-sea-maiden-stories](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/98982802-the-largesse-of-the-sea-maiden-stories) --- *Product available on Desertcart Croatia* *Store origin: HR* *Last updated: 2026-06-22*