daynpitseleh's review against another edition
3.0
I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
First of all, I kinda hate the cover, so I was glad that I was reading this as an ebook rather than in a physical copy, because this is one that would get strange looks in public. The stories in this collection are full of strange, flawed characters and the endings are often abrupt. However, I found myself thinking about the characters and their situations days after I finished the book, so it had some of effect on me.
First of all, I kinda hate the cover, so I was glad that I was reading this as an ebook rather than in a physical copy, because this is one that would get strange looks in public. The stories in this collection are full of strange, flawed characters and the endings are often abrupt. However, I found myself thinking about the characters and their situations days after I finished the book, so it had some of effect on me.
oddly's review against another edition
4.0
Full review with a cuddly surprise here: http://www.shelfstalker.net/blog/the-fat-artist-and-other-stories-benjamin-hale
There is something about reading a short story that really gives you a feel for someone's ability as a writer.
I think it has to do with the space, or the lack thereof. In a novel, there's room to hide inadequacies, to write in a roundabout fashion if necessary. But in short fiction, space is paramount. Like living in New York City, I imagine, or one of those 240 square-foot Ikea apartments.
In the seven stories in this collection, Hale crafts seven very different little worlds, full of characters with their own backgrounds, longings, worries, and lives. He is able to put all of this together with the greatest ease, precise characterization, and compact usage of language. All in such a way that draws the reader into the story, wanting to learn more about these people.
Where Hale really succeeds, for me at least, is in the finish. He has a knack for the surprise ending—for setting up every detail so perfectly and then pulling out that one Jenga stick that topples the whole tower. And he leaves you to pick up the pieces, to imagine what comes next. I really had to take some time after each story to think about what the endings meant, and they really stuck with me! His carefully wrought worlds mattered to me when they all came tumbling down for the characters.
A great collection with writing that rivals Adam Johnson's National Book Award winning collection from last year, Fortune Smiles. Definitely worth picking up if you love short stories. If you tend to turn up your nose, think again. They are the mark of a truly great writer and you don't want to pass this one up.
There is something about reading a short story that really gives you a feel for someone's ability as a writer.
I think it has to do with the space, or the lack thereof. In a novel, there's room to hide inadequacies, to write in a roundabout fashion if necessary. But in short fiction, space is paramount. Like living in New York City, I imagine, or one of those 240 square-foot Ikea apartments.
In the seven stories in this collection, Hale crafts seven very different little worlds, full of characters with their own backgrounds, longings, worries, and lives. He is able to put all of this together with the greatest ease, precise characterization, and compact usage of language. All in such a way that draws the reader into the story, wanting to learn more about these people.
Where Hale really succeeds, for me at least, is in the finish. He has a knack for the surprise ending—for setting up every detail so perfectly and then pulling out that one Jenga stick that topples the whole tower. And he leaves you to pick up the pieces, to imagine what comes next. I really had to take some time after each story to think about what the endings meant, and they really stuck with me! His carefully wrought worlds mattered to me when they all came tumbling down for the characters.
A great collection with writing that rivals Adam Johnson's National Book Award winning collection from last year, Fortune Smiles. Definitely worth picking up if you love short stories. If you tend to turn up your nose, think again. They are the mark of a truly great writer and you don't want to pass this one up.
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