justquil's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
oddly's review against another edition
4.0
I haven't read his Pulitzer winner yet, but I tend to not put a lot of stock in awards. What I do put a lot of stock in is short stories. A writer that can write compelling and brilliant short stories with fully realized character and strong plots is a true writer. And this collection proves that.
Several of the stories take on characters that are not only different, but are on the wrong side of the fringe of society. While all the stories are strong, I really enjoyed reading those pieces. Without giving away the characters themselves, it is an interesting juxtaposition to see what goes on in the heads of characters most people would find despicable and how Johnson really humanizes them by their private thoughts and actions.
The stories contemplate the past, with a former Stasi agent who stands behind his actions, the present, with a mother with cancer and North Korean defectors, and the not-too-distant future, with programmed holographic presidents and computer experts who track people who download child pornography.
A great writer and a great collection of stories that is thinking about the past, present, and future.
Several of the stories take on characters that are not only different, but are on the wrong side of the fringe of society. While all the stories are strong, I really enjoyed reading those pieces. Without giving away the characters themselves, it is an interesting juxtaposition to see what goes on in the heads of characters most people would find despicable and how Johnson really humanizes them by their private thoughts and actions.
The stories contemplate the past, with a former Stasi agent who stands behind his actions, the present, with a mother with cancer and North Korean defectors, and the not-too-distant future, with programmed holographic presidents and computer experts who track people who download child pornography.
A great writer and a great collection of stories that is thinking about the past, present, and future.
jolynne's review against another edition
3.0
I love to read, I read for pleasure, I read to step out of my comfort zone and I read because some people just put words together so darn well. These short stories fit the bill. One story in particular was a bit intense, I’m surprised I got through it. But like I said, some people just put words together so darn well.
taralpittman's review against another edition
4.0
Full review here: http://wp.me/p4EAyf-1tG
Although I'd never read anything by author Adam Johnson, I was pretty taken by his writing style from the first paragraph; there are certainly topics/themes within many of the stories in this collection to which I could readily relate and I definitely enjoyed the gritty, dark side of the subject matter. As a hospital employee with direct patient care experience, I definitely felt an emotional pull during the first story, "Nirvana," which explores the plight of a woman who has been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome. She is concerned about what the end of her life will look like, as well as the continuation of the lives of those around her, which is certainly a common response to the loss of control that one experiences with a disease of this magnitude. As a girl of the 90s, I also loved the fact that her husband is bewildered by her recent fascination with Kurt Cobain; I'm not sure why I loved the words so much either, but I did.
Without a doubt, my favorite story was the second one, "Hurricane Anonymous," probably because I grew up in a small Texas town, close to the Gulf and the border of Louisiana, and am no stranger to the plight of those displaced by hurricanes nor the disasters of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita which are the subject of this particular story. At times reminding me of Chris Gardner's tale in The Pursuit of Happyness, the main character is trying to maintain his job as a driver for UPS while caring for his young son whose mother has landed herself in the local jail; in addition, he is experiencing the kind of post-storm shock that lingers within the stories of local residents, the trash in their yards and the fact that no one has a place to call home.
Although I'd never read anything by author Adam Johnson, I was pretty taken by his writing style from the first paragraph; there are certainly topics/themes within many of the stories in this collection to which I could readily relate and I definitely enjoyed the gritty, dark side of the subject matter. As a hospital employee with direct patient care experience, I definitely felt an emotional pull during the first story, "Nirvana," which explores the plight of a woman who has been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome. She is concerned about what the end of her life will look like, as well as the continuation of the lives of those around her, which is certainly a common response to the loss of control that one experiences with a disease of this magnitude. As a girl of the 90s, I also loved the fact that her husband is bewildered by her recent fascination with Kurt Cobain; I'm not sure why I loved the words so much either, but I did.
Without a doubt, my favorite story was the second one, "Hurricane Anonymous," probably because I grew up in a small Texas town, close to the Gulf and the border of Louisiana, and am no stranger to the plight of those displaced by hurricanes nor the disasters of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita which are the subject of this particular story. At times reminding me of Chris Gardner's tale in The Pursuit of Happyness, the main character is trying to maintain his job as a driver for UPS while caring for his young son whose mother has landed herself in the local jail; in addition, he is experiencing the kind of post-storm shock that lingers within the stories of local residents, the trash in their yards and the fact that no one has a place to call home.
silviaamaturo's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Comincio l'anno con una lettura cupa e dolorosa: rimpianti, recriminazioni, paure, ferite, passati ingombranti, futuri incerti.
eric_roling's review against another edition
4.0
This was a collection of 6 short stories by Adam Johnson. Each story was about 30-60 pages long, so there was plenty of meat to each story. I didn't detect an overt overarching theme linking the stories, but neither did they feel completely random. The book felt coherent and consistent. Taking them story by story:
Nirvana (4/5) - a man struggles to cope with both a national tragedy and his wife becoming paralyzed with guillain barre syndrom. He's a techie and copes in that way. This was really touching and effective. A great start to the book.
Hurricanes Anonymous (3/5) - a man and his child struggle to survive in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He doesn't have a great track record of good decisions, and is struggling to do the right thing. This a a nice story, but a bit hard to identify with.
Interesting Facts (5/5) - best story in the collection by far. A woman with terminal cancer struggles with her mortality while her husband copes differently and starts to move on. She is quite the emotional terrorist to him, which doesn't help her appear sympathetic. But you really feel for her, and she is really well characterized and delivered. Really liked this one.
George Orwell Was a Friend of Mine (4/5) - A former East German prison warden has not come to terms with what happened under his watch. The cognitive dissonance is palpable - another good story with a compelling lead character.
Darn Meadow (4/5) - Wow - the lead character is someone reviled and abhorred. Johnson takes you right inside his mind and shows his mental struggle. Some people will have issues with the subject matter and the somewhat sympathetic portrayal here, but I thought it was a good balance.
Fortune Smiles (2/5) - To me this was the dud in the collection. Two North Korean defectors living in South Korea struggle to fit in and deal with culture shock. I just wasn't convinced that they would miss their old country as much as they did - so I didn't really identify with them.
Nirvana (4/5) - a man struggles to cope with both a national tragedy and his wife becoming paralyzed with guillain barre syndrom. He's a techie and copes in that way. This was really touching and effective. A great start to the book.
Hurricanes Anonymous (3/5) - a man and his child struggle to survive in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He doesn't have a great track record of good decisions, and is struggling to do the right thing. This a a nice story, but a bit hard to identify with.
Interesting Facts (5/5) - best story in the collection by far. A woman with terminal cancer struggles with her mortality while her husband copes differently and starts to move on. She is quite the emotional terrorist to him, which doesn't help her appear sympathetic. But you really feel for her, and she is really well characterized and delivered. Really liked this one.
George Orwell Was a Friend of Mine (4/5) - A former East German prison warden has not come to terms with what happened under his watch. The cognitive dissonance is palpable - another good story with a compelling lead character.
Darn Meadow (4/5) - Wow - the lead character is someone reviled and abhorred. Johnson takes you right inside his mind and shows his mental struggle. Some people will have issues with the subject matter and the somewhat sympathetic portrayal here, but I thought it was a good balance.
Fortune Smiles (2/5) - To me this was the dud in the collection. Two North Korean defectors living in South Korea struggle to fit in and deal with culture shock. I just wasn't convinced that they would miss their old country as much as they did - so I didn't really identify with them.
bethreadsandnaps's review against another edition
4.0
This is an excellent, wide-reaching short story collection. There are six relatively meaty stories. Oftentimes I come away wanting more, but I felt these accomplished what they set out to do. Maybe because there were only 6 versus a dozen or more that is more typical in one of these collections.
I felt "Dark Meadow" was the most unsettling because it dealt with child porn. It was still good, just a viscerally uncomfortable read. "Interesting Facts" had a good voice. I really liked the other four short stories as well. Each was very unique.
I felt "Dark Meadow" was the most unsettling because it dealt with child porn. It was still good, just a viscerally uncomfortable read. "Interesting Facts" had a good voice. I really liked the other four short stories as well. Each was very unique.
jackeatsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
In this collection of heartbreaking and sometimes darkly funny stories, Johnson presents us his characters without judgement. Whether they are pedophiles, ghosts, defectors, Stasi prison wardens, or simply victims of ill fortune, there is no exoneration, no redemption, and there are no neat endings. A prime example of how short stories can be evocative as full-length novels.
“Nirvana” ★★★★
A man struggles to interact with his wife, who is bed-ridden due to Guillain Barre syndrome. He creates a device that projects a responsive hologram of the recently assassinated U.S. President and talks to the hologram for guidance.
“Hurricanes Anonymous” ★★★★
Randall travels around Louisiana in the wake of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina with his two year-old son in tow, in search for his ex, who left him alone with the boy. A stark look at how family can be upended in times of crisis.
“Interesting Facts” ★★★
A woman dies of cancer and follows her family around as a ghost, bitterly commenting on her husband’s relationships with women and watching her children grow up without her. This is a puzzle of a story, with coded messages, references to other stories in the book, and even a reference to Johnson himself.
“George Orwell Was a Friend of Mine” ★★★★★
A former GDR prison warden copes with the reunification of Germany, denying all that has happened in his life that resulted in his wife and daughter leaving him. A haunting story about the psychological effects of assimilation and repressed memory.
“Dark Meadow” ★★★★★
The narrator for this story is a computer-savvy pedophile, who grapples with his past and fights to overcome his dark urges. Unsparingly honest, and similar to Nabokov’s Lolita, only in that it dares you to sympathize with the narrator.
“Fortune Smiles” ★★★
A few North Koreans have defected from the South, one of them reluctantly. Living off little, they struggle with their past as they attempt to fit into the new country. Love, loss, and fast food.
“Nirvana” ★★★★
A man struggles to interact with his wife, who is bed-ridden due to Guillain Barre syndrome. He creates a device that projects a responsive hologram of the recently assassinated U.S. President and talks to the hologram for guidance.
“Hurricanes Anonymous” ★★★★
Randall travels around Louisiana in the wake of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina with his two year-old son in tow, in search for his ex, who left him alone with the boy. A stark look at how family can be upended in times of crisis.
“Interesting Facts” ★★★
A woman dies of cancer and follows her family around as a ghost, bitterly commenting on her husband’s relationships with women and watching her children grow up without her. This is a puzzle of a story, with coded messages, references to other stories in the book, and even a reference to Johnson himself.
“George Orwell Was a Friend of Mine” ★★★★★
A former GDR prison warden copes with the reunification of Germany, denying all that has happened in his life that resulted in his wife and daughter leaving him. A haunting story about the psychological effects of assimilation and repressed memory.
“Dark Meadow” ★★★★★
The narrator for this story is a computer-savvy pedophile, who grapples with his past and fights to overcome his dark urges. Unsparingly honest, and similar to Nabokov’s Lolita, only in that it dares you to sympathize with the narrator.
“Fortune Smiles” ★★★
A few North Koreans have defected from the South, one of them reluctantly. Living off little, they struggle with their past as they attempt to fit into the new country. Love, loss, and fast food.
lizmart88's review against another edition
4.0
One of the best short story collections I've read in a long time. The stories are all different but they explore similar themes - people struggling to understand and deal with something, internally.
I don't want to give away anything, so I'll just say if you like short stories read it!
I don't want to give away anything, so I'll just say if you like short stories read it!
perednia's review against another edition
3.0
Adam Johnson won the Pulitzer with his novel, The Orphan Master's Son. It was an odd yet exuberant tale about a North Korean orphan who ended up in the highest circle of his country. At times, it was like a caper. Others, like a cautionary tale.
Johnson's latest collection of short stories, Fortune Smiles, won the National Book Award.
The first story in it is a keeper -- Nirvana is about a computer programmer who invents a program in which a recently assassinated (and unnamed) president talks to whoever calls up the program, and his paralyzed wife, who adores the music of Kurt Cobain. It was a fascinating story of resilience and compassion.
Next up is another story of resilience, or is it? Hurricanes Anonymous is about a UPS driver in post-storm New Orleans. He's got his ex-girlfriend's toddler in tow after she dumped the boy on him. And he's got deliveries. And he's got a new girlfriend who is convinced she's found a way for them to get out of town and set up a business. The ending was all too human.
For the entire collection, so far, great.
But then things take a turn for the definitely odd. Interesting Facts is from the POV of a woman who has had cancer and whose husband is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. The bare facts are those of Johnson and his wife. But what is he doing? Trying to see how she copes with her illness by trying to see through her eyes? Possibly. Taking on meta-fiction by throwing the curveball of this concept to confront a reader’s preconceptions? Possibly. The premise certainly opens the possibility of a discussion of taking over other people’s stories, especially if it’s a taking over by a person with more inherent power in society than the original person with the story.
Next up is George Orwell is a Friend of Mine. The story is about an old retired East German prison warden who still lives in the neighborhood and who starts talking with the tour guides and young people touring the facility. It’s unsettling in its look at evil and how people live with themselves.
But then comes the penultimate story. I wasn’t sure I could handle it. Dark Meadow is from the POV of a child molester. I am not a social scientist so I don't need to try to understand. I can feel my anger at such a person growing just thinking that they are still allowed to live. But I crossed my fingers, held my breath and kept going. It was a good decision. This is a story not about monsters, but about staying human.
The final story, from which the collection takes its title, returns to Korea. The two main characters now live in South Korea, but escaped from the north. Adapting isn’t a walk in the park. They live on fast-food coupons from the government.
One, DJ, appears to remain naive, even after being involved in lottery and myriad other scams in North Korea. The innocence with which he views Seoul is a master class in portraiture. He’s not a go-getter but he does miss parts of North Korea. After all, it was home.
The other, Sun-ho, is the epitome of brash scam artist and street boss. Until the reader sees what’s behind some of the crazy schemes he’s got going on. And how far he’s willing to go to see if dreams can come true.
The idea of whose story is one that permeate this collection, from the husband in the opening work creating stories using an assassinated president to talk to him to a man writing as a woman with a family and cancer to defectors who crave parts of home, even if that home is a secretive society with a crazy man holding sway over them. Who can tell stories for other people?
Or, is it at least as viable to remember that, just like reading, writing is a way to explore other personas, to walk that proverbial mile in another’s shoes, to look at the world through another lens and consider another aspect of the human condition? With his ability to blend pathos and humor, with glimpses of grace among the despair, Adam Johnson creates that opportunity for readers.
Johnson's latest collection of short stories, Fortune Smiles, won the National Book Award.
The first story in it is a keeper -- Nirvana is about a computer programmer who invents a program in which a recently assassinated (and unnamed) president talks to whoever calls up the program, and his paralyzed wife, who adores the music of Kurt Cobain. It was a fascinating story of resilience and compassion.
Next up is another story of resilience, or is it? Hurricanes Anonymous is about a UPS driver in post-storm New Orleans. He's got his ex-girlfriend's toddler in tow after she dumped the boy on him. And he's got deliveries. And he's got a new girlfriend who is convinced she's found a way for them to get out of town and set up a business. The ending was all too human.
For the entire collection, so far, great.
But then things take a turn for the definitely odd. Interesting Facts is from the POV of a woman who has had cancer and whose husband is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. The bare facts are those of Johnson and his wife. But what is he doing? Trying to see how she copes with her illness by trying to see through her eyes? Possibly. Taking on meta-fiction by throwing the curveball of this concept to confront a reader’s preconceptions? Possibly. The premise certainly opens the possibility of a discussion of taking over other people’s stories, especially if it’s a taking over by a person with more inherent power in society than the original person with the story.
Next up is George Orwell is a Friend of Mine. The story is about an old retired East German prison warden who still lives in the neighborhood and who starts talking with the tour guides and young people touring the facility. It’s unsettling in its look at evil and how people live with themselves.
But then comes the penultimate story. I wasn’t sure I could handle it. Dark Meadow is from the POV of a child molester. I am not a social scientist so I don't need to try to understand. I can feel my anger at such a person growing just thinking that they are still allowed to live. But I crossed my fingers, held my breath and kept going. It was a good decision. This is a story not about monsters, but about staying human.
The final story, from which the collection takes its title, returns to Korea. The two main characters now live in South Korea, but escaped from the north. Adapting isn’t a walk in the park. They live on fast-food coupons from the government.
One, DJ, appears to remain naive, even after being involved in lottery and myriad other scams in North Korea. The innocence with which he views Seoul is a master class in portraiture. He’s not a go-getter but he does miss parts of North Korea. After all, it was home.
The other, Sun-ho, is the epitome of brash scam artist and street boss. Until the reader sees what’s behind some of the crazy schemes he’s got going on. And how far he’s willing to go to see if dreams can come true.
The idea of whose story is one that permeate this collection, from the husband in the opening work creating stories using an assassinated president to talk to him to a man writing as a woman with a family and cancer to defectors who crave parts of home, even if that home is a secretive society with a crazy man holding sway over them. Who can tell stories for other people?
Or, is it at least as viable to remember that, just like reading, writing is a way to explore other personas, to walk that proverbial mile in another’s shoes, to look at the world through another lens and consider another aspect of the human condition? With his ability to blend pathos and humor, with glimpses of grace among the despair, Adam Johnson creates that opportunity for readers.