Reviews

Turtleface and Beyond: Stories by Arthur Bradford

hikemogan's review against another edition

4.0

It was 14 years before Arthur Bradford published a follow-up to [b:Dogwalker|105714|Dogwalker|Arthur Bradford|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320415041l/105714._SY75_.jpg|101898], but after all that time the same surreal, absurd, sometimes nerve-wracking plots and tone still dominate these short stories. The narrator/main subject often satisfyingly gets what he deserves as he mostly stumbles from LSD trips (turned involuntary babysitting sessions) to weddings with copperhead snakebite victims hijacking the show to abandonment in a Thai resort. Each one of these chapters read like the most ridiculous stories someone's drinking or stoner buddy tells about their wild days, which makes me suspect the stories might be autobiographical. Mostly schadenfreude-funny but at times disgusting-funny too.

omanjarrez's review against another edition

4.0

It was pretty entertaining for what it is. A few short stories that don't relate to each other but still well written.

kristengbaker's review

4.0

A quick and entertaining read. This is a great collection of stories. I laughed out loud several times, always a good sign. There were twists I didn't see coming. The main character throughout the stories seems to be down, but not out. He keeps moving along despite one setback after another. I'd recommend it.

rj42's review

dark funny sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Bradford is a talented writer – easy to get into and capable of knowing, caustic asides. His worldview is refreshing at first – bizarre people in outlandish situations trying to retain some normality. But all the stories take a similar path with similar protagonists, which makes it less than satisfying overall.

blakelybrown's review

4.0

I got this book from Goodreads First Reads. It was really funny. The stories read like an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (in the best way). It was a very entertaining book.

rosseroo's review

3.0

Never heard of Bradford before stumbling across this collection of 12 short stories (10 of which previously appeared in various lit publications like Tin House, McSweeny's, etc...). The stories are very much of a piece -- unified by a sort of dark, deadpan humor mixed with a kind of mumblecore vibe, and animals often present as supporting players in the plot. 

The protagonist is generally a young white man who's got a sort of feckless approach to stumbling through the world. In many of the stories he's named (Georgie) and others it's implied it's the same guy -- events from some stories are referred to in other ones, etc... To a large extent, you're either in tune with the sensibility on offer, or you're not. And I can certainly imagine a lot of readers getting fed up with Georgie.

Reflecting back on having finished it a week ago, I suppose it's fair to say that I more or less enjoyed the stories while finding them completely unmemorable. The humor is mildly dark, rather than truly wicked, and the stories largely fade out with a whimper, leaving little emotional impact. It's not bad stuff, it's just too one-note for me to be enthusiastic about.