Short Stories Books

These tales evoke a poetical kind of realism. "Hunters in the Snow" is a tragic but comic portrayal of three bumbling hunters acting dumb but believable: so in character with themselves yet slightly bizarre. Everything in these tales is real. There is no trumped up language or superfluous prose. The narratives sweep along with a good balance of dialogue, description and action, and are never boring. "Face to Face" is another good one--tragic again and emotional; you come away with a real sense of pathos. And none of it is asked for. The author doesn't beg our emotions. It's very real and very human. "Worldly Goods" is a hilarious tale but again with sober touch. "Maiden Voyage" is spot on in its portrayal of the bondage and meaning of marriage, and the allure of new love. "Passengers" is a terrific tale about a road warrior girl picked up by a straight-laced guy, the adventures they have and the effect she has on him--it makes you think, and it's all our doing. We never get pandered to or have our feelings played with. And it seems so effortless!

I would absolutely recommend this book. I don't usually give full-throttle approvals, but with this book I can find no fault. Read and enjoy!

I am amazed with everything Tobias Wolff writes.


His fiction is as strong and deep as his non-fiction. In Pharoa's Army is the most profoundly human book I've read on the subject of soldiering in Viet nam.

This short story collection from Tobias Wolff is truly just that. Each story gives you enough of the bare essentials to keep you informed and invested, but they never cross the line into anything remotely superfluous. Each story feels very much like you've entered right into the middle of things and you are there for the climax, but not necessarily the introduction or the conclusion.

While I found this book to be an effective exercise in the art of the short story, I was even more moved by the flaws each character in every story displayed. Wolff had grand success in getting down to the heart of who and what people are, and that is, in essence, good people that usually display less than admirable traits. We all have those idiosyncrasies that make us unique and often troubling to our friends and family, and Wolff captures perfectly normal, though certainly troublesome, eccentricities amongst his characters that give us all we need to know about their particular story.

This is a very fast and interesting read, and if you ever wanted to engage in a deep character study in the genre of the short story, this is the collection for you.

~Scott William Foley, author of The Imagination's Provocation: Volume II: A Collection of Short Stories

Tobias Wolff writes short stories pertaining to issues such as spousal abuse, envy, and lying. Wolff understands the conflicts his fiction characters face because he has addressed about those personal situations in his memoirs. His fiction is so real, it reads as nonfiction. Buy this book, buy them all. Wolff is an adventuresome author with adventuresome characters, himself included.

The characters in Tobias Wolff's short stories are typically ordinary people in relatively ordinary circumstances yet he creates through them such vivd glimpses of humanity that we recognize our friends ,relatives,neighbors and ourselves in them.
Powerful writing that is subtle and yet somehow unforgettable.

All of his short fiction collections are equally enjoyable and I would have a hard time recommending one as opposed to any other. This particular book contains several stories that will pull you in and cause you to want to explore more. This is a book that can be opened at random to any of the selections and read with great enjoyment.

Inspite of age of interview, the resultant product is of the finest quality, and we have the privilege of listening to the voice of this legendary person.

Not quite what I expected. Tolkien reads a great many of the poems and verses that is in the Lord of the Rings and some excerpts from the book. One reason why not more of the book is not read as it was just being published when these recordings were being made. May be they wanted folks to read the book. This is also very good for those who like to explore the background of his imagination, the history of Middle Earth.

Who better to read Tolkien than Tolkien?

What I find so delightful in this compilation is the variety of mood and tone that both J. R. R. and Christopher bring to Tolkien's work. J. R. R. has real fun with the poems and narratives (especially of Sam and Gollum). The riddle chapter from The Hobbitt is an absolute treasure. J. R. R.'s vocal characterization of Gollum is genuinely first rate; no actor could have done it better. And his reading of the charge of the Rohirrim to the aid of Gondor is fully heroic.

But J. R. R. is always rustic whereas Christopher is erudite. The contrast is remarkable and somehow effective. Christopher's reading from The Silmarillion gives a sense of the depth of history of the Elder Days. His Oxbridge accent (after all, he grew up in Oxford) is perfect for the great persons he gives voice to. And of course he knows his father's work better than any person alive.

If you've ever enjoyed *reading* Tolkien, you owe it to yourself to *hear* Tolkien. You will love it! (And your kids will love Gollum!)

I was always wondering how it would be if the Tolkien himself read his books - and this is it! Of course these are just different parts of his books, but some recordings are really long (30 min or so, like Hobbit:"riddles in the dark"). This would be a great present to every Tolkien fan.

I absolutely love this group of CDs! Hearing Tolkien himself reading exerpts from The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings make reading the stories themselves even more wonderful!
And when Christopher reads from The Silmarillion, it's just amazing, especially for someone who's been reading these stories since I was a little child.
I'd recommed these CDs to anyone who wanted ot listen to a true master of words.

If you are a fan of biographies but are intimidated by 1,000-page tomes, Life Stories is a great choice. Some say the New Yorker invented the "profile," and though it does seem the magazine was the first to call its biographical pieces by that name (amazing, considering how ubiquitous the term is today), editor David Remnick is quick to assert that they hardly invented the style. What they have done for decades is find the most interesting people and have the best writers provide illumination. Nearly every profile here is profound and nearly every one of them is short enough to read in a single (long) sitting. And while it's a treat to learn intimate details of some of the most famous people of the 20th century, it's the profiles of the lesser-known people that shine: from Joseph Mitchell's encounter with an aging churchman with a penchant for baking to the story of the Chudnovsky brothers, Russian emigres who built a supercomputer in their apartment from salvaged parts. Fantastic reading from start to finish.

The writing is beautiful. The story telling is beautiful. The stories are amazing. Five Stars.

This is a collection of prime examples of the long gone "profile" piece in The New Yorker magazine. They just don't write 'em like this anymore!

Choose Truman Capote's profile of Marlon Brando, or Lillian Ross' profile of Ernest Hemingway, or any of the 20-some other profiles in this book. You will read some of the best writing about some of the most exciting people in 20th Century history.

Is there a second volume in the works? I hope so!

This is a compilation of some of the best Profiles to appear in the New Yorker over the last 80 years. Sometimes you will be familiar with the person being profiled, sometimes not, but in all cases you will find the stories entertaining and the writing, superb.

My favorite Profile happens to be of one of the non-famous persons, George H. Hunter ("Mr. Hunter's Grave," by Joseph Mitchell). It is a story not so much about a person but of a long-forgotten community, and a way of life. Despite being the longest entry in the audio collection, I rewound the tape three or four times to listen to it again and again - it was that good.

Some of the celebrity stories are just as compelling, although, being celebrities, many aspects of their lives are already well known. But this sometimes opened a window into foreshadowing that could not have been appreciated by the reader (or even the writer) at the time the piece was done. One example of this concerns Ernest Hemingway ("How Do You Like It Now, Gentlemen?", by Lillian Ross). Hidden somewhere in the middle of the Profile, Ross mentions the fact that Hemingway's father had committed suicide. This had no major relation to the story in general, and was probably forgotten by most readers at the time, but we have the perspective of history. And it becomes more than just a tidbit when we realize that Hemingway, too, committed suicide 10 years later, in 1961.

Another eyebrow-raising instance came when hearing about Marlon Brando ("The Duke In His Domain," by Truman Capote). Capote was on location with Brando in Japan as Brando was taking part in the filming of "Sayonara." Brando at one point confesses to Capote that he had to lose weight for the part, and that he wasn't there yet. He still had 10-15 pounds to go. Despite this, the dinners delivered to Brando's hotel room are not those of one looking to cut down; to the contrary, Brando could only gain weight eating the food being sent up to him! Hearing Brando fuss about what he should and should not eat and Capote take note of the rich foods on the tray, it almost seems fake, as if Capote knew how Brando was going to end up. But, of course, he didn't. The story was written in 1957!

But what makes this collection great, though, is the quality of the writing itself. It matters not the subject: actor, comedian, dancer, writer, boxer, even a dog! The common thread running through all the Profiles is the way in which each story is told. Always lucid, always interesting, the stories are less stories and more like works of art.

If you enjoy exceptional writing, this collection is for you. Highly recommended. Five stars.

Hemingway, Baryishnikov, and Henry Luce are the subjects of some of my favorite celebrity profiles in this wonderful book. But topping my list is "Man Goes to See a Doctor", the awesome Adam Gopnik's sweet and funny rendering of his shrink. Here's a snippet: "Your problems remind me of" - and here he named one of the heroes of the New York School. "Fortunately, you suffer from neither impotence nor alcoholism. This is in your favor." Highly recommended!

In an age of modern family units where Children are not as important as the Careers we all seek, this book is like that well known Voice that calmed the Storm. As a Grandmother Joyce Ann Edmondson has left a legacy behind to her children for generations. This book a a cup of cold water in a desert of sex, violence and immorality. A must read for everyone that wants to put Family First!

Review: The Listening Tree by Joyce Ann Edmondson

Joyce Ann Edmondson refers to herself as Grandmother in the book The Listening Tree. It will be her voice to her grandchildren when she is no longer around and I am sure they will hear it in every word they read. It makes it extra special as you read it.

She has managed to capture everyday events in her life over the years with family and friends in such a way as to give a special meaning to each and every one of them. She finds meanings or purposes to them that she is able to express from her heart and to make us rethink every aspect of our own lives. She shares her interpretation of real life happenings eloquently yet simple enough so that a child will understand. She proves to the reader that she has been an observer and a listener to all those around her and took from the scenes only the "gold" to refine.

Her faith in God, and love for her family and humanity is poured out unselfishly in each of the fifty stories to share with the reader. It is a wonderful book for every grandmother to share with their own grandchildren. I know I will mine.
Mary Ellen Goble Preece author of In This Valley I Grew, Life on Blacklog and Happy Hollow

Joyce Ann Edmondson (grandmother) entertains us with her amusing and often compassionate memoirs of her childhood, marriage, children and grandchildren. Each story brings us closer into the heart and spirit of grandmother as she reveals herself to us through her lessons of faith, love and hope. We learn to understand the message of hope for the future, to love others even when sometimes we don't feel like it, and faith to meet the challenges and obstacles that may confront us on a daily basis.

Joyce Ann's anecdotes can be read over and over again as an inspiration to the young and old alike. Each story converges on the soul, and provides the support and encouragement we need to accomplish our undertakings as parents, and grandparents, while giving us the encouragement to lead content filled lives. Joyce Ann's stories let us know that even though we are imperfect
souls, God loves us just the way we are.

Thanks to grandmother, The Listening Tree brings us a divinely inspired treasure house of wisdom-filled stories that will add gladness to your heart. I recommend this book to not just be read by you, but to be given away as gifts to those who may need that special nudge to seek God for guidance and
prayer in times of daily struggles and difficulties.

The Listening Tree
Joyce Ann Edmondson
ISBN: 1-4137-3761-7

A review-"The Listening Tree"
This work is arranged beautifully-with vignettes replete with uplifting stories of human reaction and thoughtfulness. The first impression I had was that it would be a great tool for teaching, specifically spiritual instruction to young and old alike. I was stirred to think of adjectives that describe Mrs. Edmondson's book such as delightful, engaging, interesting and safe. The book can be enjoyed by reading to a youngster as well as any thinking and concerned adult.
She is a talented writer able to put forward her observations and experiences and their relation to biblical principals. She does this at the end of each story using appropriate scriptures or prose that in my view are beautifully said prayers-positive prayers of thanksgiving and foresight. The book has been written in a most pleasant format-an entertaining way that will engage your thinking about life and what it means and could be. I believe she has captured life as it is and made the association with God and his blessings as they always have been.
It is apparent to me Mrs. Edmondson is well schooled. The style is one that shows a proper use of every standard in English. It is written to be understood-an accomplishment she deserves to be commended. I recommend the book as a nice journey away from stressful events on any occasion but also as a teaching tool to augment-or for that matter to be-the topic and text for classes in the relationship available to us all between human beings and God. It is truly an enjoyable book to read anywhere.

Andrew Huddleston, M.S.

The Listening Tree: Fifty Stories of Grace-full Everyday Living is reviewed by Linda Pannett Author of "Silent Killers."
Joyce Ann Edmondson Author of The Listening Tree: Fifty Stories Of Grace-full Everyday Living is a beautiful writer who takes the reader to the deepest part of their soul.
Her inspiration and devotion to God radiates through the whole book making it such a pleasure to read plus makes the reader take a second look at their own life.
A beautiful book to read at anytime it would also make a wonderful bedtime story for parents to read to their children. I highly recommend this book. A beautiful book for everyone.

What a beautiful book this is! I absolutely loved these short stories. What an impressive debut! These are delicious little stories and you will find yourself completely able to relate to each character as you become immersed in their complicated, yet utterly "human" and familiar lives. So very remarkable! I savored and read this book slowly, I did not want the spell I was under to end. I am always so thrilled to discover a wonderful new writer and it goes without saying that I'll be keeping my eyes and ears open for his next effort. Congratulations to Daniel Stolar, on this extraordinary debut!

Daniel Stolar sent me an e-mail a long time ago and asked if I'd like to read his collection of short stories. I bought the book, but it got lost somewhere in the big heap of unread books in my library. I stumbled upon his book a couple of days ago and decided to give it a whirl. Glad I did. Middle of the Night is quite a delightful, poignant and thought-provoking collection of stories, most of which are based in St. Louis. The stories center on people who have difficulty dealing with overwhelming events in their lives. Some of the characters are not comfortable in their own skin. The characters are flawed and palpable -- it was impossible not to relate to their plights and nod in agreement with their thoughts. My favorite stories are "Jack Landers is My Friend," "Marriage Lessons," "Mourning," "Crossing Over," and "Second Son." I wish I hadn't waited this long to read this book. Middle of the Night was like finding a treasure box in my own backyard. I will read whatever other books Stolar has written or may write in the future.

This is an outstanding collection of short stories and I would suspect be up for many major literary awards.

Nearly all the stories are bittersweet and bring into clear focus how we are all truly solitary creatures and nobody ever really knows another person-regardless of how intimate they are. Nearly all the stories are written from the point of view of a secular Jewish protagonist, which is the cultural backdrop of the entire book. What Solar does a particularly good job with is writing from various lifestages-from young, to middle-age with children, to older and retired but with a young wife and teenage son. The stories also touch on a variety of issues from infidelity and the rending of a marriage, parenting, growing old, friendship, and interacting with people of other cultures.

Overall, this is a very impressive collection.

The opening story ("Jack Landers is My Friend") in Dan Stolar's debut collection of fiction In the Middle of the Night is a sophisticated comedy of manners wherein a thirty-something married Jewish man searches for acceptance from a group of friends he's not even sure that he likes. The story is emotionally provocative and recalls such masters of the form as Cynthia Ozick, Alice Munro, and Raymond Carver.

In the humorous and heartrending story "Home in New Hampshire" a paraplegic woman watches the twenty-year-long disintegration of her marriage to an adulterous husband while her children leave home for college. It is pitch-perfect and emotionally profound.

It's a rare treat, indeed, to discover such a singular talent and voice as Daniel Stolar's. He renders the familiar new and the new familiar. He says what we all have felt but were incapable of saying. And he says it with a clarity and emotional resonance unlike any other short story writer in America. One can not help but cheer for the future of the short story form when it is in the hands of such a capable master as Daniel Stolar. Bravura, stunning, profound. In the Middle of the Night will make you want to stand up and cheer.

Stacey Cochran

Smartly written and deviously understated, "The Middle of the Night" presents eight stories so refreshingly idiosyncratic that one is hard-pressed to compare Daniel Stolar to another writer. Most of the stories share a similar framework--an introductory section followed by an extended flashback (to childhood, to high school, to college, to a previous marriage), concluding in the present with the story's resolution. And most feature a character going through some type of midlife crisis or interpersonal conflict--between generations, between sexes, between classes, between races. Yet, in spite of their similar themes and structures and their calm, melancholy tone, each is remarkably distinctive and--most of all--the characters are instantly familiar. Stolar has a knack for sketching a person or a situation in a few simple sentences, and any reader will admire his ability to write from different points of view (a male college student, a 70-year-old retiree, a young married woman).

While all eight stories are memorable in their own way, everyone is sure to have his or her favorites. Mine are: "Second Son," about a 70-year-old man whose closeness to his son from a second marriage atones for his remoteness to and impatience with an older son; "Fundamentals," portraying a young father who calculatedly raises his son with the forbearance his own father denied him; and "Mourning," concerning a college student who, following his mother's death, is rescued from emotional collapse by a benevolent classmate rendered aloof and indecipherable by an upper-class (read: WASP) upbringing. "Crossing Over," about a Jewish college student who pledges a black fraternity, seems to have received the most attention; it is a fine story, but reading it is uncomfortable--not so much because of the subject matter but because the many black characters in the story are nearly indistinguishable stage props for the protagonist's self-induced drama.

Although Stolar has written a story sharing the book's title (it was published last year in Bomb Magazine), it was omitted from this debut volume. In an interview with a reporter, he said that "[My editor and I] kept the title because it just seemed to fit. There's a point in each story where somebody is awake in the middle of the night." Indeed, it's a perfect title for this collection: these stories are about the emotional crises that make insomniacs of all of us.

As a book of fantasy, MoonQuest will absolutely keep you glued to turning the pages to find out what happens next. However, Mark David Gerson steps beyond the fantastic as he weaves messages into the text that are very pertinent to life in our own world and to personal growth. Gerson's creative talent is very apparent in his ability to write stories within the main story, while still maintaining the smooth flow of plot and text. Also, his setting and scenic descriptions tap directly into the readers' imagination and quickly transports the reader to the land of the MoonQuest. Not only is this a great book for fans of the fantasy genre to read, but it is absolutely suitable and enjoyable for anyone, no matter the preference in genre.

Some thoughts from the book I enjoyed was the mixture of adventure, friendship and imagination. But in the end of the book it was more trust and courage. A lot of symbolism and colorful descriptions- loved the colored horses. I liked the fact that the four finally dreamed but their dreams were bad dreams. Yet they shared and by sharing they healed. It took you away to a land of magic and other times to reality. But the most important thing is to have song in your heart and stories( which is imagination) to live your life as the very reason for Prithi the creator meant for it to be. If no stories or songs than life is not a happy or meaningful one and darkness prevails.

Reviewed by Cathy Yanda for Reader Views (1/08)

Mark David Gerson is a craftsman with words and weaves a very fine tale of four unlikely friends as they come together on a MoonQuest, a journey that will end the domination of a cruel king. Toshar, orphaned at a young age and raised by his grandmother, is destined to be the Elderbard or storyteller of his people. As he dreams, things come to be and advice is given.

Gerson dispenses wonderful life advice, woven amid the prose of the story. In one of Toshar's dreams in which he speaks with his father, he asks his father to hold him. "His father shakes his head, "Not hand-to-hand as I did once, but heart to heart. Know that as you travel, wherever you travel, my heart holds yours. Draw courage from that, Toshar, and from the heart of all the bards and Elderbards who have ever lived and died in Q'ntana. We all watch you. We all stand with you...Be your strength, no mine, my son...Do what you must. Listen and know - not to my heart but to yours..."

As Toshar and his friends travel they encounter friends and foes alike, often having to determine which is which. They traverse unfamiliar lands and face many dangers. In the end, I'm certain that Toshar's father, and the other bards and Elderbards, would have been proud of Toshar. The best piece of wisdom Gerson imparts is given to Toshar near the end of the story when he is to be named Elderbard and is questioning this because he is so young to assume such an important role..."The number of years means nothing. It is how you have spent them that has value. It is what they have taught you, what they have earned you, that matters." This is true for all of us.

"The MoonQuest" is a book for people of all ages except for a brief sexually graphic part of the story that may limit it to older teens and above. Let's hope that Mark David Gerson brings us along on many more travels with Toshar and his friends.

First and foremost, a book should draw you in, from the moment you spy the cover, to and through the first page and all the rest that follow. This is a lot to ask in a busy world with myriad distractions. Good books, strong stories, tales worth telling, whether they begin "Once upon a time...." or not, seem to understand this and from the beginning to the end they speak from the heart and you cannot help but read on.

Like any good fantasy, any story for that matter, The MoonQuest introduces the reader to world that is familiar enough to resonate and different enough to pique us literary travelers to embark on the journey. Like any good story, any tale worth telling, The MoonQuest becomes not just Toshar's journey, or Fynda's, or any of the other characters that we come to care for, hope for, but ours as well. And as it seems with the most gifted of storytellers, whether it be bards or writers, it happens so seamlessly, so effortlessly, we are transformed and hardly know it.

The MoonQuest is a great read but more importantly, for me at least, it lingers long after. When you find yourself relating events in your life to the character in a book and coming to a deeper understanding, well that's literary magic. That's just what happened for me and what continues to happen. I don't write reviews. I tend to think, as E. M. Forster did, that books come to us when we're ready for them. I was definitely ready for The MoonQuest. I suspect you might be too.

I was enchanted by The Moonquest. I usually read books very quickly. This one was too delicious. I wanted to savor every morsel! The vivid imagery was beautiful and captivating. I enjoyed all of the wonderful twists and turns of the plot. I fell in love with the colorful characters and experienced the journey along with them. It was truly a delightful read! I didn't want the adventures to end!

This is one of the best books I've read since "What's Done in the Dark", by Gloria Mallette. I literally laughed throughout the whole book. It was a short read and I hated it ended so soon. As long as Ms. Culberson continues to write, I will continue to read.

San Culberson. You did your thing.
Readers-Don't let 208 pages fool you. She left nothing unturned. I actually felt what Fiona was feeling. I laughed with fiona on several pages and was ready to kick butt in others. This book will keep you entertained.

I truly enjoyed reading San Culberson's novel. Her characters were very realistic and her writing style definitely kept me turning the pages. A novel written for the mature reader, I found it easy to relate to her characters and their many 'issues'. All that and then some, Culberson is definitely a writer on the rise in the literary world.

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. San Culberson is a refreshingly new and welcomed voice. I can't wait to read her next offering.

Got men problems? Join the club of women who have had their hearts broken. Regardless of how strong we think we are, no one is ever ready to find out that their man is cheating on them. After suffering through a year long separation, Fiona Daniels finally got her signed divorce papers.

With feelings of joy, she recruited her best friend, Nicole, to help her plan a "DFL - divorcee for life" party. Fiona spared no expense and invited 27 of our closet friends to celebrate with champagne, catered buffet, and private room. She shed her dressed to impress attorney façade for the evening and partied like there was no tomorrow. During the clean up phase of this soirée, she noticed the handsome cater. Drunken Fiona threw caution to the wind and invited him home for a one-night stand. Fiona acknowledged that the sex was hot and Nicholas "Nick" Nathaniel was FINE (frog hair split three ways fine) but in no way was she becoming involved in a serious relationship.

Nick is a divorcee, master chef and restaurant owner with two kids. He is a free spirit with a passion for expensive gifts and good food. Fiona captivated him while her mean spirit and her funky attitude made him even hungrier in the chase to win her heart. The friendship between the two gets complicated when Fiona realizes who her sisters new man is - waking up the ghetto side of this otherwise refined sister. She temporally loses touch with reality which may cause her to lose everything - her position at the firm, the love of her mother, and her new man friend - Nick.

THE NICK OF TIME is a story that rings true for so many sisters today. Culberson draws the reader in with humorous dialogue, theatrical twists, and the understanding that sex always has strings. Unquestionably, the BEST "chick lit" read of the year. Don't sleep on San Culberson because her pen flows with page turning action that will carry you through the full gamut of emotions.

Deltareviewer
Reviewing for Real Page Turners

After hearing Nick Hornby read his short story "Small Country" on NPR, I had to pick up this book. I was not disappointed. The stories are odd, humorous, and a bit-off center, but they are also immensely enjoyable. The themes are geared primarily towards younger readers (stories about parents leaving for Peru, monsters at summer camp, over protective fathers - you get the idea), with a tongue-in-cheek parody about them that is reminiscent of Lemony Snicket (who, in fact, wrote the introduction.)

Most stories are sure to be a hit with the grade 3 - 6 crowd; the final story by Jonathan Safran Foer ("The Sixth Borough") is a bit less kid-friendly, but the collection as a whole is a fun read. Highly recommended for young readers.

My 10 year old daughter absolutely loved this book. She was a bit intimidated by the title initially , so I started off reading her the stories. We both were intrigued and read the whole book together. I thought is was so good , when we finished, I gave the book to our school library for other kids to read - my daghter nearly killed me for giving it away!

The collection of stories is a must read for fans of intelligent young adult stories. Even the introduction, by Lemony Snicket, poking fun of books that are more mundane (with a terrific nod to Harry Potter) is a great read. I liked Gaiman's and Hornby's stories.

The general impression is that it's a collection of stories that the authors would have like to read when they were kids. Some of them may be scary to the announced age group (4-7) but most are just sweet. For the adult many of them will remind the reader how it was to be a kid. And for the kid, this will make them feel vindicated for many injustices they suffer, like the loud mean boy that everybody likes, over-controlling parents, and having to play sports when they really don't want to.

The funniest part was the introduction by Lemony Snicket. I'd like to know how Paul Revere did wrong by him.

Take some excellent, renowmed writers, have them write a collection of stories for kids, and this is what you get. An eclectic, fun, sometimes creepy mix of tales that those of all ages are likely to enjoy.

While writers like Nick Hornby and Neil Gaiman contribute, the best effort comes from Kelly Link, in his tale titled, "Monster." Although written for children, this is one of the funniest short stories I've read in quite some time - funny, scary, straightforward in its telling - and it's the highlight of an outstanding collection.

The only thing that keeps me from giving this 5 stars is the fact that there are a couple of weak stories that hurt the overall collection. Still, I'd highly recommend this for readers of any age. You might not like every story, but I guarantee that there will be several that catch your fancy.

i am not a novel fan but this (trilogy) really got me, i can't stop reading them, one after another. so wicked and facinating especially the ending. who likes intense plot should read the books.

As other reviewers have noted the plot well and carefully, my only comment to add here is that this book is as confounding as life itself: the scene that is always continous is never the same twice. It is rewritten over again and again..the characters are the same, or are they?
It is a different novel depending on what level you read it..a war novel, a novel about love and friendship, a novel about truth and lie, a novel about memory and forgetting: it is a cross between the kind of novel Gunter Grass has written, and also the kind of novel Kundera wrote..quite amazing.

This is probably the best book you will read this year. Her writing is incredible, the plot fascinating in its historic and geographic absurdity (where are we? East Germany? Hungary?), the details vivid and unforgettable. Why are her other books not translated?

Mathias is a boy whose life has so many imperfections. He is troubled with looking like an ogre being born deformed. The doctors said that he will be like that for the rest of his life. His mother left him to go live in the big city and his father, who is also his mother's father, is in jail or maybe even dead.

Left to the care of Lucas, Mathias lives out his life from an intelectual stand point. Lucas taught him that while other children would grow big and strong, so would he. Mathias corrected Lucas knowing damn well the sadness of the truth. Lucas explained that he would work hard on his mind a grow an ever strong unsderstanding of the world around him. Sure enough, Mathias did just that and was the envy of all his classmates for always having the right answers.

Lucas loved Mathias very much, but was only a boy himself when he took on the responsibility of raising him. Lucas is a very unikely Father being one with such a disturbed past and shady presence. He goes around the city making money at night by playing his harmonica in bars and by selling produce by day. His relationships are very odd including the priest of the town who he plays chess with on a nightly basis. Lucas himself does not believe in God, but the priest takes the role of a father figure for him in the story. He also has relations of a more intimate kind with 2 women and a man in the story.

I first read "The Notebook" when I was in High School. A Video Game known as "Earhtbound 64" (never released) had led me to read this story. ONe character from that game would have been based from this story. I had no idea what I was about to read. It definitely warped my mind as a youth and became an instant favorite. Now 5 years later I read "The Proof" and remembered why it is I had enjoyed "The Notebook" so much tp begin with.

This story is definitely not for the weak at stomach. It is can become pretty disturbing and downright sickening at some points of the story. It is, however, very well written and leaves feeling emotions the characters must have felt when they were going through the events in their lives.

There aren't that many amazing books to read in the world. How often do you take a book and find that it lacks that something that keeps you awake at night or makes you wake up early (when you adore sleeping) just to read it? This is not a thriller (which can have the same effect but for different reasons). This is a monster itself, but in the best sense possible. You just can't miss it. For anything.

I was surprised how much I liked this book. Its a collection of 10 stories that all have the same character, a woman named Elly. Usually I don't really like short stories or a book comprised of a collection of stories. Its just by the time I get to know & enjoy the characters, background, and the plot, the story ends. They're just too short! Hence the definition of a short story.

I liked how some stories centered around Elly and in some stories Elly was a secondary character. My two favorite stories were "Praire Dogs and "Other Fish in the Sea." I liked the character "Praire Dogs" focused on, a young artist named Lydia. I think it would be neat if the author decided to write another book similar to this one but use the character of Lydia as the common thread connecting all the short stories.

Other Fish in the Sea not only brings back memories of my 20's but the journey involved in discovering contentment and possibly the love of our life.

I love the creative way author Lisa Kusel incorporates a series of short stories all interconnected with one character, a young woman who experiences the anguish of love, heartache, and pain. Kusel's writing suggests the possibilities of affecting the lives of those around us, even in situations where we're merely bystanders or have no personal or frequent contact with that individual.

Kusel is a talented and up and coming author. Her humor, attention to detail, and insight into the grooves of relationships is remarkable. I recommend this book to all of the hopeless romantics and look forward to reading her future novels. It's a great read. You won't be dissapointed.

I wasn't greatly happy with these stories when I first started the book, but it becomes apparent that the character building is weak initially because it's all filled in with the other stories in the book. They're all connected, in that they are stories from random times in the life of the "main" character, Elly, who is a woman in one unsuccessful relationship after another. She's a little crazy, a little neurotic, sometimes trying to hard, sometimes not caring enough, but it's all pretty interesting.
She actually mentions my alma mater, Wake Forest, in one of the stories, and it makes me wonder if the meeting with that student in Europe in one of the stories is based on any real life event.

I found this book by chance. I was intrigued by the title. I could not put it down. I was laughing, crying and watching Elly grow. It was cool how you got to see her through her own eyes and through other people's perspectives. That was my favorite part. I was so happy with the ending. I never saw it coming. I read this book in about a day. I hope to see more from Lisa Kusel if she keeps writing like this. This is a book that any woman can relate to in some way. It is just that incredible.

as a 40-year old male, I found this book an excellent ride.

Funny, insightful, and a clever use of personal letters to say so much about a character without having to come right out and say it.

Travel, strange dreams, and love in a dentist chair -- what more does a book need? Oh yeah, good creative writing and it has that, too!

I'm looking forward to another dozen hours of fun with Lisa Kusel's next book.