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The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break Paperback – September 6, 2016

by Steven Sherrill (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 399 ratings
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Five thousand years out of the labyrinth, the Minotaur finds himself in the American South, living in a trailer park and working as a line cook at a steakhouse. No longer a devourer of human flesh, the Minotaur is a socially inept, lonely creature with very human needs. But over a two-week period, as his life dissolves into chaos, this broken and alienated immortal awakens to the possibility for happiness and to the capacity for love.

Steven Sherrill is a graduate of UNC Charlotte and holds an MFA in poetry from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. The recipient of a NEA Fellowship for Fiction, he has published four novels and one book of poetry. His debut novel, The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break, was published in the UK and translated into eight languages. Neil Gaiman selected it as one of six audio books to launch “Neil Gaiman Presents” for Audible.com. A prolific painter and nascent musician, Sherrill is now a professor of English & Integrative Arts at Penn State Altoona.

" . . . [W]ry, melancholy, beautiful first novel . . . " —The Guardian

"Sherrill's narrative, with its dreamlike pace, shows myth coexisting with reality as naturally as it does in ancient epic." —Publishers Weekly

"Wise and ingenious" —The New York Times

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Blair
  4. Publication date
    September 6, 2016
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0895876752
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0895876751
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

[A] brilliant imagination...Every page is a delight worth savoring for a millennium or two. USA Today

One of the most original and oddly moving novels in some time...funny, touching, haunting...If you don t fall under the spell of Sherrill s Minotaur, so human in his needs and longings, you probably should be tossed in the labyrinth yourself. The Charlotte Observer
Darkly intelligent and sometimes dazzling. The Minotaur is a complex and sympathetic creation, conspicuous yet socially invisible. What s more, he s here to stay. Atlanta Journal-Constitution

[A] comic, bittersweet first novel...Sherrill reveals himself as that most endangered of literary species, a crafty, talented novelist who s not afraid to show his heart. Chicago Tribune

[Sherrill] can make images luminesce with the reflected light of language. San Diego Union-Tribune
--Review

From the Back Cover

Five thousand years out of the labyrinth, the Minotaur finds himself in the American South, living in a trailer park and working as a line cook at a steakhouse. No longer a devourer of human flesh, the Minotaur is a socially inept, lonely creature with very human needs. But over a two-week period, as his life dissolves into chaos, this broken and alienated immortal awakens to the possibility for happiness and to the capacity for love.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Blair; Reprint edition (September 6, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0895876752
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0895876751
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.9 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 399 ratings

About the author

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Steven Sherrill

Steven Sherrill

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Steven Sherrill has been making trouble with words since 8th grade, when he was suspended from school for two weeks for a story he wrote. He dropped out of school in the 10th grade, ricocheted around for years, eventually earning a Welding Diploma from Mitchell Community College, which circuitously to an MFA in Poetry from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

Now, Steven is an Associate Professor of English and Integrative Arts at Penn State University, Altoona, where he teaches, paints, and captains the Allegheny Bilge Rats Shanty Choir. He has three novels and a book of poems in the world. He has written several articles on contemporary artists for Modern Painters and for TATE Magazine. He is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for Fiction in 2002. His first novel, The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break, is translated into 8 languages and was recently released as an audio book by Neil Gaiman Productions. His second novel, Visits From the Drowned Girl, published by Random House (and nominated by them for the Pulitzer Prize), US and Canongate, UK was released in June of 2004. The Locktender’s House, novel #3, was released by Random House in Spring 2008. And in November 2010, CW Books released the poetry collection, Ersatz Anatomy. Most recently, Louisiana State University Press: Yellow Shoe Fiction Series has accepted the novel JOY, PA for publication in the spring of 2015.

There are other books in the works, paintings always underway, much musical silliness underway, and seventeen ukuleles in the house, and 750 vintage wooden crutches in his basement.

Much more info can be found at www.stevensherrill.com

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
399 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Robert I. Hedges
5.0 out of 5 stars "Doors Open And Close In The House Of Ethos With A Rhyme And Reason All Their Own."
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2014
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With his first novel, "The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break," Steven Sherrill hits it out of the park. Sherrill is a poet and teacher by trade, and his lyrical abilities are fully on display here in both brief poetic interludes and within the prose itself. The book features sublime characters, and particularly the Minotaur, here working as a cook in North Carolina, has believable characteristics (well, as plausible as a half-man, half-bull working the prime rib station can be) and motivations betraying his centuries old struggles. The bittersweet story of mythology and redemption (or at least solace) is totally absorbing, and despite the implausibility it is impossible not to become caught up in the narrative, particularly the minotaur's desire for a future with Kelly, a waitress who he pines for despite her propensity for having seizures at the most inappropriate imaginable times.

I have worked as a cook in restaurants, and I grew up in Charlotte (Sherrill's description of local sites such as Independence Boulevard are spot on,) and it's no coincidence that, like me, Sherrill is both a graduate of UNC-Charlotte and extremely knowledgeable about the inner workings of restaurants. In all candor, some of the eccentric personalities and imagery brought back my time working at a high end restaurant in Charlotte, coincidentally just off of Independence Boulevard. I initially discovered the book by hearing super-brainy chef (and my personal culinary hero) Alton Brown rave about it. Alton was right about the book and the spirit of the restaurant industry, but the book is most notable for being full of charm, humor, and pathos all in equal measures making it a joy to read.

For anyone who ever wondered about the day to day practicalities of being a minotaur, Sherrill has thought a lot about it and has expressed it better than anyone else has, but more importantly, the book is full of humanity with an odd edge that hits all the right notes, making a fresh shot at redemption via a corn dog trailer seem like the most logical thing in the world for a minotaur to covet.

Sherrill is a very gifted writer, and reading this book is well worth the time spent digesting everything from the outlandish premise through the unique personalities and the lessons they teach about relationships. It's orders of magnitude more fun than revisiting Edith Hamilton's "Mythology," so pick up a copy today.
9 people found this helpful
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David H. Schwartz
4.0 out of 5 stars A Modern Day Hunchback of Norte Dame
Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2018
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Sweet love story focusing on a real life mythical creature. Have not read anything like this before - truly unique. Well written and attention grabbing. Quick read.
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John H.
5.0 out of 5 stars Introspective and magical
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2015
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Like a lot of other reviewers, I picked this up based on Alton Brown's recommendation, and I was pleasantly surprised.

It's a piece of existential fiction wrapped in a bit of magical realism. The plot is pretty simple: the Minotaur of myth and legend now goes by the moniker M, and is working as a line cook in a low-end restaurant and trying to come to grips with life as it is. He lives as an outsider due to his looks and his inability to communicate his thoughts, both verbally and sometimes even to himself. The book is mostly an internal dialogue of the Minotaur's reaction to trying to relate with his human surroundings, and never quite understanding exactly what motivates people to act the way that they do.

It's a story that focuses on loneliness and the struggle to feel acceptance in your situation, a place we've all been and can relate with. The Minotaur as a character seems like more of a way for the author to insert a grotesque exaggeration of the outcast self, the alienated individual who is striving to fit in to an non-receptive and self-absorbed society.

The writing itself is almost like an ultra-modern blend between Camus and Rushdie, with the magical themes blending seamlessly with the mundanity and confusing spiral of every day life. Things are simple and to the point - all in all a pleasant enough read that I would recommend to anyone who's looking for a bit of understanding and self-reflection.
6 people found this helpful
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P. Breedlove
3.0 out of 5 stars One of Alton Brown's favorite books, but just okay by me
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2014
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As strange as it is to imagine a Minotaur walking around in the real world, author Steven Sherrill makes it seem totally believable. With a writing style similar to JD Salinger, you'll be reminded frequently of Holden Caulfield's constant inner dialogue as we see the world through the Minotaur's eyes.

Alton Brown (Food Network host of "Cut-Throat Kitchen," "Iron Chef America," & (formerly) "Good Eats") says he reads this book every year because it's just that good. As for me, I think one time through is enough. My honest review would fall somewhere in between "I didn't like it" and "It's okay," so I'll round up to the third star. Be forewarned, however, that the novel does portray sex and sexual thoughts & fantasies somewhat graphically, and that really puts pictures in your head that might best be unseen. Still...I've got to give Sherrill credit for a truly creative approach to the "stranger in a strange land" theme, and for that at least he earns the third star.
2 people found this helpful
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Marty’s Tshirt
4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining to read, but left something to be desired
Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2011
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I have to agree that this book's story line was weak in places. Many things do not get resolved and are brought up only once. It's difficult to pinpoint a major theme or symbol. Something will be reoccurring for a few chapters, and then disappear for the rest of the book. Despite of this, the book was enjoyable to read, and l would recommend it simply because of the humorous subject.
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Top reviews from other countries

Jock
5.0 out of 5 stars A Rather Unique Read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 10, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book definitely stands out from the crowd. It is different, which I like.

It's a study of loneliness and perception. It's not the fastest paced book in the world, but that suited me fine.

If you like strange books, this one is for you.
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CMC
4.0 out of 5 stars Thought-Provoking Story
Reviewed in Canada on May 9, 2020
Verified Purchase
Meet ‘M’, the Minotaur – yes, the very same one. Only now, he is 5,000 years old and becoming more human by the day.
M realizes how life is passing him by and he needs a change, but he is not sure what. He works in a kitchen, lives in a trailer and knows a handful of people. M has lost much of his primal tendencies and holds a threat to adults more than children. In this story we see him explore life and do things that mere humans do, too. He goes on a date, travels with a friend to buy a trailer, visits a civil war fanatic and much more. At each occasion, I wondered if he is going to behave as a human or lose that side of himself.
The story shows M’s strengths and flaws as he grapples with his past mistakes. It demonstrates the subtleties and quirks of human behaviour, yet it refers to his primal instincts on occasion. The author weaves in the question of why people act in ways often hidden or unknown – even to the person.
It is a fictional story, I chose to read it because of the Minotaur factor. I believe it symbolizes death and evil and the idea of a Greek monster being a line cook had my curiosity.
I liked the story, there were some parts that were a little strange, but I enjoyed it. It was thought-provoking and gave an interesting perspective. The essence of the story is a theme which as a human, I love – hope.
I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys Mythology and legendary stories.
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Skinvaldo
4.0 out of 5 stars A very human story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 20, 2015
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A character you can identify with, warts and all, captured in rich prose that keeps you turning the pages and opens your eyes to the people around you.
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Monika S
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 12, 2023
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I ordered this as a gift for my niece. She is happy and loves it.
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Jochen Metzger
2.0 out of 5 stars bragging about Greek mythology
Reviewed in Germany on August 20, 2007
Verified Purchase
OK, I am not a native speaker of english - maybe that was part of the problem of getting a fine grasp of the story. On the other hand side - having read five or six chapters - I never got the impression that the story was heading anywhere at all. Then I gave up. It was just too boring.

Steven Sherill has a good idea of placing a mythological figure in today's life to see what happens. Then again - should I be interested to see the Minotaur stumble clumsily through his restaurant job for the 100th time? Or to observe his life in the trailer park where just nothing happens? Then I did something that I normally never do: after I got the impression that possibly nothing more considerable would happen for the remaining two thirds of the book - I JUST READ THE END OF IT!!! Had I missed anything? NO! It seemed as if I had not missed a bit of it. Brilliant idea - saved my time.

I do hope that Mr. Sherill writes more stories. But please not just for bragging about greek mythology.

I thought about giving it a 1-star-rating. But then again, there where so many topics covered (car mechanics, cuisine, mythology), which really improved my english vocabulary. Thanks, Mr. Sherill! Look it up on dict.cc..! ;-)
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