The Cockfighter

A novel by Frank Manley April 1, 1998 • 5 x 8 • 224 pages • 978-1-56689-073-1 In this stunning debut novel, Manley explores part of the rural American experience where the human spirit, young as it may be, prevails against seemingly overwhelming odds. The Cockfighter presents the dark side of The Yearling. Reviews “This challenging and disturbing novel is the most important enactment of the stages of a young man’s growing up that I have read since Catcher in the Rye.” —A.R. Ammons “The Cockfighter is terrific, extremely moving and insightful—a coming-of-age story of a most unusual sort.” —Clifford Geertz “Told with deep insight, intimate knowledge, and immense dramatic power, The Cockfighter occupies an original space in contemporary American fiction—a story of glory, pride, and growth—a story, like myth, that takes root in the timeless soil of human existence. An extraordinary piece of work.” —Ha Jin