A review by jonathanwlodarski
Last Day on Earth: Stories by Eric Puchner
4.0
Puchner belongs to a class of writers like Makkai and van den Berg who write mostly realism that still feels surreal because of the depth of its strangeness, which I love. His characters and storylines are interesting and dimensional. I really enjoyed the first five stories in this collection.
However, the last few, even though they were compelling and I read them beginning to end, tuckered me out because of their exploration of Boring Dude Problems. I'm just not sure the world needs any more stories about men who did cocaine casually in college struggling to accept the implications of fatherhood or about men who, trying to escape the banality of suburbia, realize their glory days were actually kind of gross and bad.
Highlights: "Brood X," "Beautiful Monsters," "Independence," "Expression."
However, the last few, even though they were compelling and I read them beginning to end, tuckered me out because of their exploration of Boring Dude Problems. I'm just not sure the world needs any more stories about men who did cocaine casually in college struggling to accept the implications of fatherhood or about men who, trying to escape the banality of suburbia, realize their glory days were actually kind of gross and bad.
Highlights: "Brood X," "Beautiful Monsters," "Independence," "Expression."