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Inheritance #3
The Lion's Den
Exposing his father’s transgressions in a tell-all was the ethical, righteous—and profitable—thing to do. What’s left but to slink back home for a humbling face-to-face with the man whose secrets he sold?
He was a notorious government whistle-blower. Depending on whom you ask, he’s a treasonous felon, a folk hero, a validated patriot, or a national disgrace. To his son, Michael, he’s the father who threw his family into upheaval. Now, having moved back home at the age of thirty-four, Michael is getting to know him as a man. And getting nearer to understanding his motivations that have remained a mystery in this darkly humorous short story of sacrifice and betrayal by New York Times bestselling author Anthony Marra.
Anthony Marra’s The Lion’s Den is part of Inheritance, a collection of five stories about secrets, unspoken desires, and dangerous revelations between loved ones. Each piece can be read or listened to in a single setting. By yourself, behind closed doors, or shared with someone you trust.
28 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 19, 2019
About the author
Anthony Marra
17 books2,393 followersAnthony Marra is the New York Times bestselling author of The Tsar of Love and Techno and A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, winner of the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Prize and the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, and longlisted for the National Book Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 351 reviews
November 8, 2019
A simply brilliant short story from Anthony Marra, of family, and a complicated father-son relationship whilst reflecting on the nature of morality, religion, and corruption, with an examination of the state of ethics and integrity in American life, business, schools and culture. At 34 years old, an unemployed Michael returns to his family home, his father ill with cancer, a father he has never really known or understood. A father convicted of 17 felony charges, viewed both as hero and traitor, a possible recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, a government whistle blower on unwarranted surveillance by the NSA, who spent 6 years in a federal prison before receiving a presidential pardon from Obama. His father maintained his silence through the years, until a traumatised, angry 22 year old Michael wrote a memoir that betrayed his father, the kindest review of which accused him of patricide, the only person not to condemn him is his dad.
When the keynote speaker of his old Catholic school's Ethics Symposium, a necrophile, is charged with wire fraud, tax evasion, and insider trading, Michael agrees to take his place. It soon becomes apparent to him that he is not being lauded as a role model, but instead paraded as a cautionary tale. An acknowledgement of who his father is demonstrated by Michael's abandonment of a wheelchair at the lions enclosure, an illusion, an inheritance, an act of love and understanding of a father breaking free and courageous enough to walk among lions. Superb storytelling that illustrates just how great the short story format can be. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Amazon Original Stories for an ARC.
When the keynote speaker of his old Catholic school's Ethics Symposium, a necrophile, is charged with wire fraud, tax evasion, and insider trading, Michael agrees to take his place. It soon becomes apparent to him that he is not being lauded as a role model, but instead paraded as a cautionary tale. An acknowledgement of who his father is demonstrated by Michael's abandonment of a wheelchair at the lions enclosure, an illusion, an inheritance, an act of love and understanding of a father breaking free and courageous enough to walk among lions. Superb storytelling that illustrates just how great the short story format can be. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Amazon Original Stories for an ARC.
January 22, 2020
Fortitude
The Lion’s Den (Inheritance Collection #3) is a superbly written short story that is intriguing, clever, and insidiously probing. Packed with dark humour and satirical prose the observational settings that are painted are vivid and highly revealing. This is a story of a troubled relationship between father and son after the father has been convicted of federal offences involving national security whistle-blowing. With multiple side reflections that spark contemplation in areas such as ethics, religion, respect, honesty and morality, the story has amazing depth for a short story.
The ethical debate around the role of a whistle-blower is a challenging dilemma – should someone break rules or laws to expose greater crimes. I couldn’t help relate the father to Edward Snowden with the notion that people will see him as a traitor or hero, as someone who acted in the public’s best interests or against the nation’s best interests. Is it right that he who holds the power possesses the capacity to act with impunity from the law, while the whistle-blower is derided and ostracised?
Michael's father was sentenced to federal prison for revealing government information on how it acted towards its own population. Pardoned by President Obama, six years later, he has never spoken about the claims or consequences. Michael, however, for financial gain wrote a memoir, betraying his father’s wishes and setting himself as a critic against his father. When he is asked to step in as a last-minute keynote speaker replacement, at his old Catholic School’s Ethics Symposium, Michael realises that he’s not there as a role model but as a cautionary tale.
Michael’s father is dying of cancer and after he passes away, Michael performs an act of symbolism that illustrates how much he respected and loved his father, in contrast to the damning memoir he had written years before. Michael takes the wheelchair to the lion enclosure in the zoo, parks it and walks away.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book for its depth of meaning and the observational humour that brought life to this superbly written short story. I would highly recommend reading this book and I would like to thank Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC version in return for an honest review.
The Lion’s Den (Inheritance Collection #3) is a superbly written short story that is intriguing, clever, and insidiously probing. Packed with dark humour and satirical prose the observational settings that are painted are vivid and highly revealing. This is a story of a troubled relationship between father and son after the father has been convicted of federal offences involving national security whistle-blowing. With multiple side reflections that spark contemplation in areas such as ethics, religion, respect, honesty and morality, the story has amazing depth for a short story.
The ethical debate around the role of a whistle-blower is a challenging dilemma – should someone break rules or laws to expose greater crimes. I couldn’t help relate the father to Edward Snowden with the notion that people will see him as a traitor or hero, as someone who acted in the public’s best interests or against the nation’s best interests. Is it right that he who holds the power possesses the capacity to act with impunity from the law, while the whistle-blower is derided and ostracised?
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund BurkeThe metaphor of going into the Lion’s Den, is wonderfully placed, as the world that awaits a whistle-blower having to face an insurmountable backlash, especially against government perpetrators. The courage to position yourself amongst the lions is an incredible show of fortitude and belief.
Michael's father was sentenced to federal prison for revealing government information on how it acted towards its own population. Pardoned by President Obama, six years later, he has never spoken about the claims or consequences. Michael, however, for financial gain wrote a memoir, betraying his father’s wishes and setting himself as a critic against his father. When he is asked to step in as a last-minute keynote speaker replacement, at his old Catholic School’s Ethics Symposium, Michael realises that he’s not there as a role model but as a cautionary tale.
Michael’s father is dying of cancer and after he passes away, Michael performs an act of symbolism that illustrates how much he respected and loved his father, in contrast to the damning memoir he had written years before. Michael takes the wheelchair to the lion enclosure in the zoo, parks it and walks away.
“Finding an empty wheelchair in front of a lion enclosure is like finding a pair of shoes at the ocean’s edge. You might look to your left and your right, but in your heart, you know the only way their owner went was in.”
I thoroughly enjoyed this book for its depth of meaning and the observational humour that brought life to this superbly written short story. I would highly recommend reading this book and I would like to thank Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC version in return for an honest review.
November 12, 2019
I loved Anthony Marra’s novel A Constellation of Vital Phenomena and The Tsar of Love and Techno, a collection of connected stories which for me read like a novel. I count them among my favorites, so I was thrilled at the opportunity to read his new short story which is part of the Amazon Original Inheritance Collection. It’s filled with humor and emotion and regret, and is so relevant, not just because it’s about the son of a whistleblower, but because there are questions about the morality of the things people do or don’t do. I thought about what we are seeing on the news today, the lack of scruples of so many of our public servants and the honor of those who speak up for what is right. I don’t want to digress so I’m not going to get political here because the heart of this story for me, is the complicated relationship between this man and his father, a previous NSA employee, about whom his son wrote a tell all book. Fantastic writing, not a wasted word. There are so many funny lines, but the humor is tempered by the seriousness of the events and the depth of love that the story emanates. It’s too short to tell about the plot , but I’ll just say the same thing I said about “Everything My Mother Taught Me” by Alice Hoffman, another story in the Amazon Inheritance collection. I was fortunate to obtain an advanced copy of this from Amazon Original through NetGalley. It’s part of the Amazon Original Inheritance Collection. If you are a NetGalley member, I recommend you go and request it. If not, preorder it from Amazon for your kindle . It’s being released 12/19/19 . It’s worth so much more than the $1.99 that it will cost you.
It has taken me ages to connect with shorter fiction because I frequently felt unsatisfied at the end wanting to know more. While I wanted more of the fabulous writing, I wasn’t left with that hanging feeling. Amazing what a talented writer can do in 28 pages !
October 1, 2024
This book just wasn’t for me. I found it boring, I didn’t like the storyline, and I couldn’t connect with the characters. Too many unnecessary thoughts inside the main character's head.
January 5, 2020
Funny and heartbreaking in equal measure, this is a powerful story of a 34-year-old son coming to terms with the past transgressions of his dying father. Beautifully written, this achieves in 28 pages more than many full-length novels I've read, and is easily the best of the five stories in the Amazon Inheritance series. Brilliant!
December 9, 2019
What an exceptional short story!
Anthony Marra has written a wonderful piece about a father and son relationship that is quite complicated. At 34 years old, Michael returns home to care for his dying father that he has not long ago betrayed. His father is a whistleblower whom some consider a hero and others do not. A brilliant and perfect ending.
In 2014 Marra won the Leonard’s prize awarded by the National Book Critics Circle for A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. His first novel and one of the finest books I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
Thanks to Goodreads’ friends Paromjit, Elyse, Cheri, and Rose for your lovely reviews which prompted me to request this short story from NetGalley.
Thanks also to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for providing an ARC of The Lion’s Den in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date - December 19, 2019
Posted to NetGalley on December 9, 2019
Anthony Marra has written a wonderful piece about a father and son relationship that is quite complicated. At 34 years old, Michael returns home to care for his dying father that he has not long ago betrayed. His father is a whistleblower whom some consider a hero and others do not. A brilliant and perfect ending.
In 2014 Marra won the Leonard’s prize awarded by the National Book Critics Circle for A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. His first novel and one of the finest books I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
Thanks to Goodreads’ friends Paromjit, Elyse, Cheri, and Rose for your lovely reviews which prompted me to request this short story from NetGalley.
Thanks also to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for providing an ARC of The Lion’s Den in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date - December 19, 2019
Posted to NetGalley on December 9, 2019
November 23, 2019
The Lion's Den is my first short story I read in Amazon Original Stories Inheritance collections of five stories.
Anthony Marra really takes us in the lion's den with this short story that explores a complicated father/son relationship. At only 28 pages long, there is a lot not said and said here that will have you thinking deeply about this story and the danger when secrets are left unsaid or when they are revealed.
As I was reading this one I couldn't help wondering how a short story like this could come together and the ending not leave me wondering what I missed. Well, it all comes together brilliantly and I loved the end. I was surprised by the ending and left with all those questions I love to explore with my thoughts. I wish I could say more about how that ending made me feel but I just can't without spoilers. For me, the best books are not only the one that opens up so many thoughts in my head but also the ones that have me thinking just how brilliantly the story comes together in the end.
I received a copy from NetGalley
Anthony Marra really takes us in the lion's den with this short story that explores a complicated father/son relationship. At only 28 pages long, there is a lot not said and said here that will have you thinking deeply about this story and the danger when secrets are left unsaid or when they are revealed.
As I was reading this one I couldn't help wondering how a short story like this could come together and the ending not leave me wondering what I missed. Well, it all comes together brilliantly and I loved the end. I was surprised by the ending and left with all those questions I love to explore with my thoughts. I wish I could say more about how that ending made me feel but I just can't without spoilers. For me, the best books are not only the one that opens up so many thoughts in my head but also the ones that have me thinking just how brilliantly the story comes together in the end.
I received a copy from NetGalley
December 20, 2019
The Lion's Den is such a funny but sad story. Michael is the adult son of a former NSA employee who was a whistleblower. His father was hailed a hero and a criminal, spent time in prison, and would never reveal his motivations for his actions. Teenage Michael and his mom suffered verbal abuse, threats, and financial insecurity due to his father's actions and even when his father had the chance to write a book about what he'd done, he refused, keeping his son and wife struggling for the means to pay their bills.
Finally college age Michael was offered a deal and money to write a tell all book about his father and he jumped at the chance. Now, in his early thirties, Michael has crawled back home, broke and homeless, but allowing everyone to think he's there because his father is dying. Despite the past, despite resentments, Michael, his dad, and his mom, spend their days with each other, taking care of each other, never talking about the elephants in the room.
In the end, this is a book about love, a son who loves his dad, a dad who loves his son, and we are left with wishing they could have told each other the many things that they have been holding back. Michael's words are funny and sad, all at the same time and if he could put these things on paper, he surely wouldn't be a struggling writer. This is another book in Amazon's Inheritance collection.
Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for this ARC.
Finally college age Michael was offered a deal and money to write a tell all book about his father and he jumped at the chance. Now, in his early thirties, Michael has crawled back home, broke and homeless, but allowing everyone to think he's there because his father is dying. Despite the past, despite resentments, Michael, his dad, and his mom, spend their days with each other, taking care of each other, never talking about the elephants in the room.
In the end, this is a book about love, a son who loves his dad, a dad who loves his son, and we are left with wishing they could have told each other the many things that they have been holding back. Michael's words are funny and sad, all at the same time and if he could put these things on paper, he surely wouldn't be a struggling writer. This is another book in Amazon's Inheritance collection.
Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for this ARC.
November 7, 2019
The Lion's Den is an expression of irony and intentions, and an austere reflection of familial forgiveness that tests the boundaries of protection and love.
A fragrant display of a complicated father-son relationship is epitomized in this 28 page short story. Do two wrongs make a right?
Michael returns home to live with his parents after losing his job and becoming evicted, though to those around it seems an act of familial love since his dad is in his last stage of cancer. Michael is asked to speak at his former school, and after he accepts he reflects on his school days and the stages of his development into an adult. He recalls his fathers arrest during this time and the strain it had on their family for many years after. As a desperate and angry twenty-two year old, Michael had written and published a memoir about his father that exposed his fathers poor choices. Now, in the last stage of his life, Michael's dad has one last unexpected arrangement waiting for Michael.
Has time and experience healed their relationship? Will Michael always see his dad as a felon? Is Michael any different than his father, Michael having exposed his dad through a memoir while his dad illegally exposed private NSA documents? How do we measure immorality and crime?
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.
A fragrant display of a complicated father-son relationship is epitomized in this 28 page short story. Do two wrongs make a right?
Michael returns home to live with his parents after losing his job and becoming evicted, though to those around it seems an act of familial love since his dad is in his last stage of cancer. Michael is asked to speak at his former school, and after he accepts he reflects on his school days and the stages of his development into an adult. He recalls his fathers arrest during this time and the strain it had on their family for many years after. As a desperate and angry twenty-two year old, Michael had written and published a memoir about his father that exposed his fathers poor choices. Now, in the last stage of his life, Michael's dad has one last unexpected arrangement waiting for Michael.
Has time and experience healed their relationship? Will Michael always see his dad as a felon? Is Michael any different than his father, Michael having exposed his dad through a memoir while his dad illegally exposed private NSA documents? How do we measure immorality and crime?
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.
January 28, 2020
Much ado about nothing . Not a fan of this short story as it seemed to end before it began
for me.
So many of my friends loving this story but we do all react differently to books and I am afraid this one just didn't float my boat.
Having read Anthony Marra A Constellation of Vital Phenomena and The Tsar of Love and Techno I was eager to read The Lions Den a short story and part of Inheritance a collection of five stories about secrets, unspoken desires and dangerous revelations between loved ones.
I listened to this one with my husband on our way to dinner and we both agreed apart from the humour this one will fade in our memory a month from now. I didn't connect with the characters and felt there was too much going on in so few pages and it was all over before it began.
I did like the humour and the last page to the book but that is probably the reason for my 2 starts instead of one.
for me.
So many of my friends loving this story but we do all react differently to books and I am afraid this one just didn't float my boat.
Having read Anthony Marra A Constellation of Vital Phenomena and The Tsar of Love and Techno I was eager to read The Lions Den a short story and part of Inheritance a collection of five stories about secrets, unspoken desires and dangerous revelations between loved ones.
I listened to this one with my husband on our way to dinner and we both agreed apart from the humour this one will fade in our memory a month from now. I didn't connect with the characters and felt there was too much going on in so few pages and it was all over before it began.
I did like the humour and the last page to the book but that is probably the reason for my 2 starts instead of one.
November 25, 2019
Oh boy. I hate being an outlier. But this short story and I were not meant to be. I couldn't connect with the characters. I couldn't connect with the narrative. The last page, however, earns it an extra star as I did like the ending. Don't listen to me though, as at this point virtually everyone else has rated it 5 stars. I will slither back under my rock now...
Thank you Net Galley, Amazon Original Stories, and Anthony Marra for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this short story. Opinions are obviously mine alone and are not biased in any way.
Thank you Net Galley, Amazon Original Stories, and Anthony Marra for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this short story. Opinions are obviously mine alone and are not biased in any way.
November 21, 2019
I am a very big fan of this author's work so far, so it was not a difficult decision to read his recently published short story.
Marra writes so beautifully - every word is important and every paragraph needs to be read carefully and savoured fully. The Lion's Den is just twenty eight pages long but these pages are packed full of meaning.
I enjoyed the tale, I laughed at the incidents with the students and I read out loud some of the comical asides about his religious experiences to anyone who would listen. Some books you feel obliged to share and this was one. Hoping now for another full length novel in the very near future.
Marra writes so beautifully - every word is important and every paragraph needs to be read carefully and savoured fully. The Lion's Den is just twenty eight pages long but these pages are packed full of meaning.
I enjoyed the tale, I laughed at the incidents with the students and I read out loud some of the comical asides about his religious experiences to anyone who would listen. Some books you feel obliged to share and this was one. Hoping now for another full length novel in the very near future.
October 30, 2019
Wow!
Powerful!
An adult son - Michael, 34, moves back home ‘after’ having sold his dad’s story - (a government whistle blower) - to the public.
Where does ego, betrayal, assumptions, righteousness, sacrifice, and blame fit in with discovery of another point of view?
Does healing create the experience of love...
Or does love create the experience of healing?
Facetious knowingness is re-examined through personal observations.
Great short story!
Powerful!
An adult son - Michael, 34, moves back home ‘after’ having sold his dad’s story - (a government whistle blower) - to the public.
Where does ego, betrayal, assumptions, righteousness, sacrifice, and blame fit in with discovery of another point of view?
Does healing create the experience of love...
Or does love create the experience of healing?
Facetious knowingness is re-examined through personal observations.
Great short story!
November 12, 2022
4★
“I am in my old bedroom. It has been converted to a guest room, and I have been converted to a guest.”
A son, helping to look after his wheelchair-bound dad, muses about his childhood, about his dad’s whistle-blowing notoriety, and about his own reputation as a writer. The thing he's most famous for is a rather scathing memoir about his father. Awkward? But now he's remembering when he was a kid.
I always enjoy reading about young boys, all elbows and knees and angles.
“What a mess you are at eleven: pimpled, sweaty, peach fuzzed, pulled in so many different directions it’s amazing you can walk straight. Father Carlson’s students have that Frankenstein look of being assembled from different limbs that don’t quite fit or work together. The good news is that adolescence is a disorder whose physical effects are invariably treated by time. Emotionally and psychologically, it is, for some, incurable.”
He's asked to speak at his old school and notes
“If you want your children to believe they can change the fallen world, send them to a Quaker school. If you want to change your children to survive the world as it is, Catholicism has you covered.”
Marra actually covers a lot of ground in a very few words, which not everyone can do. I like the way this story resolves and must finally read some of his longer, well-known works.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted. This is one of five (so far?) stories from the collection called ‘Inheritance’ from Amazon Original Stories.
“I am in my old bedroom. It has been converted to a guest room, and I have been converted to a guest.”
A son, helping to look after his wheelchair-bound dad, muses about his childhood, about his dad’s whistle-blowing notoriety, and about his own reputation as a writer. The thing he's most famous for is a rather scathing memoir about his father. Awkward? But now he's remembering when he was a kid.
I always enjoy reading about young boys, all elbows and knees and angles.
“What a mess you are at eleven: pimpled, sweaty, peach fuzzed, pulled in so many different directions it’s amazing you can walk straight. Father Carlson’s students have that Frankenstein look of being assembled from different limbs that don’t quite fit or work together. The good news is that adolescence is a disorder whose physical effects are invariably treated by time. Emotionally and psychologically, it is, for some, incurable.”
He's asked to speak at his old school and notes
“If you want your children to believe they can change the fallen world, send them to a Quaker school. If you want to change your children to survive the world as it is, Catholicism has you covered.”
Marra actually covers a lot of ground in a very few words, which not everyone can do. I like the way this story resolves and must finally read some of his longer, well-known works.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted. This is one of five (so far?) stories from the collection called ‘Inheritance’ from Amazon Original Stories.
January 6, 2020
"The day before my father died, he asked to see the lions."
The father: "A multiple felon, a national disgrace or treasure, but now, a cancer patient.
The son: 34, presently unemployed, now returns home.
THE LION'S DEN: A complicated family-life short story with a difficult father-son relationship. Daily trips to the nearby zoo routine since dad got out of prison, but now are purposeful and via wheelchair....with an oh-so-memorable final visit.
So glad to have finally read Anthony Marra. Have owned A Constellation of Vital Phenomena for quite some time and now know I must get to it and The Tsar of Love and Techno.
This is my fifth and final read of the Inheritance Collection; have enjoyed them all!
Many thanks to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for the complimentary ebook in exchange for review.
December 12, 2019
It's amazing how much depth a great writer can get into 28 pages of a short story. This is an excellent example by Anthony Marra, portraying a dying father and his adult son who has recently moved back home for financial reasons.
As a younger man, the son wrote a damming memoir about his father, a government whistleblower who took a moral stand in releasing details of illegal NSA surveillance. Jailed for some years, his son suffered trauma and bullying at school and later lashed out with the vicious memoir. Later lauded as a hero by many, his father was granted a pardon by President Obama and now that his son is older he has a more understanding view of what his father did. Told with a touch of humour, the story raises many questions about ethical dilemmas to ponder long after the ending. The imagery of the son taking his father to visit caged animals at the nearby zoo every afternoon and the final scene were just perfect.
This is the fifth short story in the excellent Amazon Inheritance Collection I have read and enjoyed courtesy of Netgalley. 4.5★
As a younger man, the son wrote a damming memoir about his father, a government whistleblower who took a moral stand in releasing details of illegal NSA surveillance. Jailed for some years, his son suffered trauma and bullying at school and later lashed out with the vicious memoir. Later lauded as a hero by many, his father was granted a pardon by President Obama and now that his son is older he has a more understanding view of what his father did. Told with a touch of humour, the story raises many questions about ethical dilemmas to ponder long after the ending. The imagery of the son taking his father to visit caged animals at the nearby zoo every afternoon and the final scene were just perfect.
This is the fifth short story in the excellent Amazon Inheritance Collection I have read and enjoyed courtesy of Netgalley. 4.5★
December 26, 2019
A really intriguing short story about a father/son relationship which I really enjoyed especially the humour!
November 23, 2019
"The day before my father died, he asked to see the lions."
The Lion's Den is a short story by Anthony Marra that is a part of the Inheritance series and it moved me to tears. It was a 3 to 3.5 stars read for me until the last page. It so rarely happens that a seemingly average story becomes a masterpiece because of the ending; an end that you realize, will stay with you for a very long time.
Michael's father served a prison sentence during the Bush administration for some controversial deeds that led him to be hailed a hero by some, and a traitor by others. His life was fascinating—he was personally pardoned by President Obama and was released from federal prison after six years. He has now been diagnosed with cancer and every single day, he visits the zoo. There, he stands in front of the lion's den and thinks of ways that an animal could break free and escape into the outside world.
I find myself at a loss for words to express my feelings at this point. So I'm just going to say that I could never imagine that such a heartfelt story could be written in twenty-eight pages. But Marra has done exactly that. And for that, I'm in awe. Definitely going to look into more of his works.
[I'd like to thank NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories and Anthony Marra for this ARC.]
The Inheritance Series:
Can You Feel This?
Everything My Mother Taught Me
Zenith Man
The Weddings
The Lion's Den is a short story by Anthony Marra that is a part of the Inheritance series and it moved me to tears. It was a 3 to 3.5 stars read for me until the last page. It so rarely happens that a seemingly average story becomes a masterpiece because of the ending; an end that you realize, will stay with you for a very long time.
Michael's father served a prison sentence during the Bush administration for some controversial deeds that led him to be hailed a hero by some, and a traitor by others. His life was fascinating—he was personally pardoned by President Obama and was released from federal prison after six years. He has now been diagnosed with cancer and every single day, he visits the zoo. There, he stands in front of the lion's den and thinks of ways that an animal could break free and escape into the outside world.
I find myself at a loss for words to express my feelings at this point. So I'm just going to say that I could never imagine that such a heartfelt story could be written in twenty-eight pages. But Marra has done exactly that. And for that, I'm in awe. Definitely going to look into more of his works.
[I'd like to thank NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories and Anthony Marra for this ARC.]
The Inheritance Series:
Can You Feel This?
Everything My Mother Taught Me
Zenith Man
The Weddings
November 18, 2019
At the age of thirty-four, Michael is more or less forced to move back home to live with and care for his father, a somewhat tarnished whistleblower, a man he has long resented for the upheaval that followed his publicly revealing a government program.
Michael’s only real “success” comes from writing the tell-all book about his father, and since then his life seems to have flatlined. Now home caring for the father he betrayed, the time has come to decide how to spend these final days together, rehashing the resentments of the past, or finding peace and perhaps forgiveness.
This was the second book in the Inheritance Collection that I’ve read, the first being Alice Hoffman’s Everything My Mother Taught Me, both stories having themes of betrayal, forgiveness and love.
Pub Date: 19 Dec 2019
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley
August 28, 2020
A bland baked potato...
Eek. I expected a hot potato! But what I got was a plain potato, warmed up in the microwave. Almost everyone else delighted in their steaming-hot russet, fresh out of the oven, with heaps of sour cream and chives. I’m kicking myself that I forgot my rule to lower my expectations. I always get caught up in the hype and then expect to go gaga over a story like everyone else. It was just a meh for me. Dang, I so wanted to be in gush-land with the gang.
It wasn’t a total bust; I liked this short story okay. The beginning was good and the very end was just brilliant. I enjoyed the heart of the story: A son, who has a complex relationship with his father, returns home, where his father is dying. The father is fascinating—some people thought that he was a crook, others thought he was a hero. What a life he lived.
But where the story failed me was at the symposium, where the son was a speaker. I thought all the chatter at the symposium was boring, too intellectual, and overall yawn-worthy. It took me out of the story. I liked some of the ideas, but for me they detracted from the story. I was too aware of the author’s viewpoints on issues; it seemed like he was trying too hard to be relevant and profound. I really wish he had stuck with the infinitely more interesting story of father and son. I wanted them to talk to each other more; I wanted more drama. I always take interaction over issues, always.
I didn’t think the story was tight. Entirely too much time was spent at the symposium (diluting the story), but there was another minor problem for me. Of the son’s three friends mentioned at the beginning, only two had bit parts later in the story. Space is precious in a short story; there’s no room for a character who doesn’t stay in the picture.
The writing is super smart and thoughtful, and it impressed me. But that wasn’t enough. Most sentences by themselves made me happy, but they didn’t work together to create fireworks.
The last bit of the story is so perfect, I wondered if the writer came up with that first and then worked backward to create the story. He gets 10 stars for the ending.
I read Marra’s The Tsar of Love and Techno and liked it, but I remember having a similar gripe—a little too intellectual and disjointed.
Just a bland baked potato, devoid of luscious toppings. What else can I say, other than I’m glad it was a short story, not a novel.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.
Eek. I expected a hot potato! But what I got was a plain potato, warmed up in the microwave. Almost everyone else delighted in their steaming-hot russet, fresh out of the oven, with heaps of sour cream and chives. I’m kicking myself that I forgot my rule to lower my expectations. I always get caught up in the hype and then expect to go gaga over a story like everyone else. It was just a meh for me. Dang, I so wanted to be in gush-land with the gang.
It wasn’t a total bust; I liked this short story okay. The beginning was good and the very end was just brilliant. I enjoyed the heart of the story: A son, who has a complex relationship with his father, returns home, where his father is dying. The father is fascinating—some people thought that he was a crook, others thought he was a hero. What a life he lived.
But where the story failed me was at the symposium, where the son was a speaker. I thought all the chatter at the symposium was boring, too intellectual, and overall yawn-worthy. It took me out of the story. I liked some of the ideas, but for me they detracted from the story. I was too aware of the author’s viewpoints on issues; it seemed like he was trying too hard to be relevant and profound. I really wish he had stuck with the infinitely more interesting story of father and son. I wanted them to talk to each other more; I wanted more drama. I always take interaction over issues, always.
I didn’t think the story was tight. Entirely too much time was spent at the symposium (diluting the story), but there was another minor problem for me. Of the son’s three friends mentioned at the beginning, only two had bit parts later in the story. Space is precious in a short story; there’s no room for a character who doesn’t stay in the picture.
The writing is super smart and thoughtful, and it impressed me. But that wasn’t enough. Most sentences by themselves made me happy, but they didn’t work together to create fireworks.
The last bit of the story is so perfect, I wondered if the writer came up with that first and then worked backward to create the story. He gets 10 stars for the ending.
I read Marra’s The Tsar of Love and Techno and liked it, but I remember having a similar gripe—a little too intellectual and disjointed.
Just a bland baked potato, devoid of luscious toppings. What else can I say, other than I’m glad it was a short story, not a novel.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.
September 30, 2024
I have mixed feelings about this, a contemplative short story about a man coming to terms with his dead father's infamous past. On the one hand, I savoured Marra's faultless writing (I already knew he was a dab hand); on the other, the story was… Well, it was rather boring.
Yes, a lot of universal truths are spoken, and yes there were a few comedic touches, but the account wasn't likely to linger long in my mind. But please know that I am very easily bored, so don't trust me to be your boredom barometer!
The piece reads more like non-fiction than fiction, thereby failing to light the fuse to my enthusiasm. Some of the themes just wafted by me, like those floaty wisps of gauze that conveniently settle on the private parts of a Rubens nude.
The title, which is used both metaphorically and literally, is well chosen and the father's pugnacious personality exquisitely observed.
An easy five out of five for Marra's accomplished writing.
Three out of five for the story.
If you haven't already, I would urge you to read his The Tsar of Love and Techno, which is a real treat and far from boring! : )
Yes, a lot of universal truths are spoken, and yes there were a few comedic touches, but the account wasn't likely to linger long in my mind. But please know that I am very easily bored, so don't trust me to be your boredom barometer!
The piece reads more like non-fiction than fiction, thereby failing to light the fuse to my enthusiasm. Some of the themes just wafted by me, like those floaty wisps of gauze that conveniently settle on the private parts of a Rubens nude.
The title, which is used both metaphorically and literally, is well chosen and the father's pugnacious personality exquisitely observed.
An easy five out of five for Marra's accomplished writing.
Three out of five for the story.
If you haven't already, I would urge you to read his The Tsar of Love and Techno, which is a real treat and far from boring! : )
November 15, 2019
This short story was my first taste of Anthony Marra's writing.
The Lion's Den is excellent, even reluctant short story readers will find it satisfying, as it had enough detail, self-exploration and depth. I thought the ending was outstanding.
Highly recommended
Many thanks to Amazon Original Stories for the eARC.
The Lion's Den is excellent, even reluctant short story readers will find it satisfying, as it had enough detail, self-exploration and depth. I thought the ending was outstanding.
Highly recommended
Many thanks to Amazon Original Stories for the eARC.
June 23, 2020
The day before my father died, he asked to see the lions.
This short story and third in Amazon's Inheritance Collection is a tale of a father and son and their path to forgiveness. Michael, now in his thirties, has returned to his childhood home to take care of his ailing father, a whistleblower who reported NSA activity. But Michael finds that he is now surrounded by memories of his growing years and thinks a lot about the legacy of his dad's actions.
Beautifully written and filled with moments of great emotion with some dark humor added in, The Lion's Den was an engaging read.
Goodreads review published 23/06/20
This short story and third in Amazon's Inheritance Collection is a tale of a father and son and their path to forgiveness. Michael, now in his thirties, has returned to his childhood home to take care of his ailing father, a whistleblower who reported NSA activity. But Michael finds that he is now surrounded by memories of his growing years and thinks a lot about the legacy of his dad's actions.
Beautifully written and filled with moments of great emotion with some dark humor added in, The Lion's Den was an engaging read.
Goodreads review published 23/06/20
September 30, 2020
Rating: Very Good
Genre: Contemporary
This is the third story in the inheritance series. So far I loved all the three books that I have read in this series. They are short but they have some meaningful and powerful messages attached to them. The Lion’s Den is the story of a thirty-four-year-old son (Michael) who has to deal with his dying father’s past. The past that haunted his father and the whole family for many years and it continues to do so even this day.
What impressed me the most about this short story is the degree of complexity of the father and son relationship. Anthony Marra touches many subjects be it family love, betrayal, and forgiveness in both serious and humorous ways. This was a very well written story.
Genre: Contemporary
This is the third story in the inheritance series. So far I loved all the three books that I have read in this series. They are short but they have some meaningful and powerful messages attached to them. The Lion’s Den is the story of a thirty-four-year-old son (Michael) who has to deal with his dying father’s past. The past that haunted his father and the whole family for many years and it continues to do so even this day.
What impressed me the most about this short story is the degree of complexity of the father and son relationship. Anthony Marra touches many subjects be it family love, betrayal, and forgiveness in both serious and humorous ways. This was a very well written story.
November 15, 2019
What a wonderful engaging book written with so few words. I thoroughly enjoyed The Lion’s Den by Anthony Marra.
This book was from a series of 5 small books by various authors.
I will read more of this authors books
Thank you Amazon and NetGalley for providing me an early release in exchange for an honest review.
This book was from a series of 5 small books by various authors.
I will read more of this authors books
Thank you Amazon and NetGalley for providing me an early release in exchange for an honest review.
December 16, 2019
I received this book from Net galley, in exchange for an honest review.
I loved A Constellation of Vital Phenomena so much I just had to read this short story.
What a gem!!
The writing is beautiful and effortlessly evokes an emotional response but there is also a touch of humour such that I laugh as well as cry.
The heart of the story is the relationship between father and son. The son is plagued by guilt over his ‘betrayal’ of his father, by writing a ‘tell-all’ memoir, but is also carrying resentment that his father turned whistleblower, becoming a moral hero, without taking into consideration the deleterious affects it would have on the family.
The deceptively simple way in which the author creates realistic but loving relationships leaves my heart bursting with affection and concern for the characters portrayed.
Although I finished the story hungering for more of the writing the end was perfect and left me with a tearful smile.
I loved A Constellation of Vital Phenomena so much I just had to read this short story.
What a gem!!
The writing is beautiful and effortlessly evokes an emotional response but there is also a touch of humour such that I laugh as well as cry.
The heart of the story is the relationship between father and son. The son is plagued by guilt over his ‘betrayal’ of his father, by writing a ‘tell-all’ memoir, but is also carrying resentment that his father turned whistleblower, becoming a moral hero, without taking into consideration the deleterious affects it would have on the family.
The deceptively simple way in which the author creates realistic but loving relationships leaves my heart bursting with affection and concern for the characters portrayed.
Although I finished the story hungering for more of the writing the end was perfect and left me with a tearful smile.
January 23, 2022
This is the fourth book I've read in Amazon Originals Inheritance collection of short stories. Overall, I liked it - Mr. Marra is able to take a serious subject about betraying his father's secrets in a book and their subsequent relationship leading up to his father's death, and somehow find the humor in the midst. It's not haha funny, but it does find the humor in many bad situations, which takes a good deal of skill. I'd definitely take a peek at other books written by this author.
★★★
★★★
January 7, 2020
I absolutely LOVE this author and will read anything he writes and although this was good I missed the Russian feel of his other books. With subtle poignancy he paints a picture of a father son relationship.
Michael’s father is dying of cancer and after he passes away, Michael performs an act of symbolism that illustrates how much he respected and loved his father, in contrast to the damning memoir he had written about his father years before.
If you enjoyed the slow eb and flow of books like a A Gentleman in Moscow then you will probably love this short story that forms part of the Inheritance Series.
ARC Netgalley
Michael’s father is dying of cancer and after he passes away, Michael performs an act of symbolism that illustrates how much he respected and loved his father, in contrast to the damning memoir he had written about his father years before.
If you enjoyed the slow eb and flow of books like a A Gentleman in Moscow then you will probably love this short story that forms part of the Inheritance Series.
ARC Netgalley
December 20, 2019
This is off the charts...I would add more stars, if given the option. I finished this half an hour ago and I’m still wearing a ridiculous grin on my face. I owe Paromjit a HUGE thank you for this one – not to mention a huge thank you to Amazon original stories and Kindle Unlimited (with audio); oops, did I forget to mention my huge thanks and kudos to the author, Anthony Marra (and narrator, Timothy Andres Pabon) who amused me so utterly for 45 minutes, earlier this morning? This is one of the wittiest and funniest short stories (and commentaries on our times) that I have read in ages. I am now completely in love with Marra - please don’t disappoint me with the next work I read by you. If I were to add all of the hilarious quips to my favorite quotes I would be branded a plagiarist – every line is a gem. Okay – so I’m thinking Dita….Dita, I hope you love this one because I recommended it to you – actually I recommend it everyone. For those of you with Kindle Unlimited it is free right now WITH audio - and I recommend listening to the audio as Pabon delivers the brilliant prose with aplomb. Bravo!
July 23, 2022
I love anything and everything this author writes! This short story deals primarily with father – son relationships (but includes some great Catholic school scenes too). I can’t wait for Mercury Pictures Presents!
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