"Extraordinary by any measure. . . . With this collection [Shepard] becomes a storyteller in the purest sense." –
The New York Times Book Review "Devastatingly artful. . . . Brutal and satisfying. . . . In their careful craft and mysterious revelations, the best stories in
Great Dream of Heaven recall . . . Chekhov." –
Minneapolis Star Tribune "Strong emotions . . . make a Sam Shepard story as familiar as an old leather saddle. . . . Shepard's terse, lyrical style excels. . . . There's something broadly American . . . about the frustrations his characters feel." –
San Francisco Chronicle "Shocking. . . . Often funny. . . . Shepard's writing is consistently excellent." –
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "His playwriting skills . . . make his fiction shimmer with a brutal clarity." –
Los Angeles Times Book Review