A review by jackeatsbooks
Fortune Smiles, by Adam Johnson
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.