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annag2003's review
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
forka's review
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bejau's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
emily_britton's review
2.0
Too weird for me. Joshua says I have a low tolerance for weird. Maybe. But I also didn't think the writing was particularly good. Meh.
michaelstearns's review
4.0
For the story "The Smoker" by itself, I would give this collection four stars, but many of the other stories are pretty fabulous as well.
edwarde3ddd's review
4.0
I first read David Schicker in a Pushcart Prize collection a number of years ago. That same Pushcart collection had another author I have enjoyed over a number of years, Ana Menendez. This collection follows a number of Manhattanites, all living in the same mythic apartment building, the Preemption. The various dysfunctional lives are intertwined with sometimes random encounters and at other times, extremely intimate ones. There are also the occasional phenomenal occurences which change the course of action at several points throughout their tangled lives.
Here is the thing. This is a great collection. At times, the stories were disturbing because there is such disconnect and longing, but the way he weaves the lives of the various characters together is quite wonderful. It is also interesting to read this fictional account of New Yorkers pre 9/11 (this book came out that year which would have meant he finished it sometime before the events of that fateful day) and fiction since that time. McInerney, Bret Easton Ellis, and DeLillo's Cosmopolis all come to mind when I consider this collection.
Here is the thing. This is a great collection. At times, the stories were disturbing because there is such disconnect and longing, but the way he weaves the lives of the various characters together is quite wonderful. It is also interesting to read this fictional account of New Yorkers pre 9/11 (this book came out that year which would have meant he finished it sometime before the events of that fateful day) and fiction since that time. McInerney, Bret Easton Ellis, and DeLillo's Cosmopolis all come to mind when I consider this collection.
bookishinsomniac's review
3.0
An interesting collection of short stories that all managed to come together and connect to each other. I liked this book and thought it was pretty good, but seemed a little bland.
spygrl1's review
3.0
Kissing is a collection of intertwined stories, sort of a proto-novel. And it has a couple of stories that I really like: "The Smoker," about an unexpected, unconventional romance, and "Jacob's Bath," also about an unconventional romance, really, and about the enduring bond between a husband and wife. The stories are all linked by the Preemption apartment building, which seems to cater exclusively to eccentrics. Later stories are also linked by an improbable, and I'd say unbelievable, love triangle. This is where I stop really liking the book, although I still enjoy Shickler's writing style and quirky grace notes.
mellowbeing's review
I made it through the first two and a half short stories and just can't finish this one. It's obviously written by a man with fantasies of submissive women. I'm feeling generous with 2 stars.
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