floribunda52's review against another edition
5.0
This was a provocative set of six long stories; the audiobook version was terrific, with each story read by a different person. I didn't always enjoy/appreciate them while I was in the middle, but they "blossomed" as I thought about them afterwards. Each story is unique, but they all fit together somehow.
spiderfelt's review against another edition
4.0
Most of this collection was fantastic: original ideas that kept me completely engaged, until I made it to the sixth story. #triggerwarning: child porn. It was like watching a train wreck. At first I could not tear myself away, and then suddenly I couldn't bear to listen to it anymore. I decided not to give up on the book, and skipped ahead to the last story. Critics rave about almost all of the stories, but no mentions Dark Meadow. Beware. Stars refer to the stories I loved. The fact that the 6th story exists keeps it from getting five stars.
tonitoul's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
pharmdad2007's review against another edition
5.0
Adam Johnson is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. The short stories in this collection are vastly different from one another, but they all have one thing in common: a fresh, real voice that grabs you and doesn't let go.
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
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.