A review by oddly
Fortune Smiles, by Adam Johnson
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.