djrmelvin's review
4.0
I knew Brock Clarke was a better writer than one would think from reading [b:An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England|733462|An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England|Brock Clarke|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1188471569s/733462.jpg|1893490]! This collection of short stories shows that Clarke can allow his characters to be the stars of their own stories and not force them into contrived situations that might be best seller fodder but isn't all that interesting. In every one of these stories we are exposed to unhappy people who either are trying to fix their unhappiness or, in the case of my favorite story, "The Son's Point of View", accepting their situation and dragging others into it. The quick fix, almost happy endings of some of the stories weaken their power, but I'm convinced that eventually Clarke will lett all of his characters loose, no matter how it turns out. Also, whether it was an attempt to link the stories or simply Clarke's writing style, the similar names and professions of characters from one story to another makes reading this collection straight through a little confusing. Those small problems aside, this is a wonderful start for a writer I hope to read a great deal more.
More...