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A review by mundinova
Fortune Smiles by Adam Johnson
5.0
Story: 5 stars
Character Development: 5 stars
Prose/Language: 5 stars
“The truth is, though, that you don't need to die to know what it's like to be a ghost.”
A collection of six short stories, all with a similar theme: What happens after?
What happens after two North Korean's defect to South Korea? What happens to a new father, displaced and unsure, after Hurricane Katrina ? What happens after the Berlin wall comes down and all the rules you worked so hard to follow become historical atrocities? What happens after a debilitating disease takes over your spouse's body, making it hard to continue living? And scariest of all, what happens after repeat childhood traumas create an adult pedophile, trying to recover and live a peaceful life?
Each story was unique with "good" and "bad" characters that were fully fleshed out and realized. Johnson is able to put the reader into the shoes of anyone and make us sympathize with them - even if we really don't want to.
Highly recommend this collection to anyone who likes Michael Chabon, Anthony Doerr, and Jeffrey Eugenides.
Character Development: 5 stars
Prose/Language: 5 stars
“The truth is, though, that you don't need to die to know what it's like to be a ghost.”
A collection of six short stories, all with a similar theme: What happens after?
What happens after two North Korean's defect to South Korea? What happens to a new father, displaced and unsure, after Hurricane Katrina ? What happens after the Berlin wall comes down and all the rules you worked so hard to follow become historical atrocities? What happens after a debilitating disease takes over your spouse's body, making it hard to continue living? And scariest of all, what happens after repeat childhood traumas create an adult pedophile, trying to recover and live a peaceful life?
Each story was unique with "good" and "bad" characters that were fully fleshed out and realized. Johnson is able to put the reader into the shoes of anyone and make us sympathize with them - even if we really don't want to.
Highly recommend this collection to anyone who likes Michael Chabon, Anthony Doerr, and Jeffrey Eugenides.