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emjanereads's review against another edition
3.0
A brief collection made up of 40 short short-stories, Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day was hit or miss for me.
Loory's tales reminded me of reading a Chris Van Allsberg picture book: strong images and a slightly creepy feeling looming throughout. However, I was frustrated that none of his stories had endings (or at least, not endings in a traditional sense). Though I can appreciate the "twist and done" method of finishing a short story, I felt myself longing for more resolution in at least some of the stories.
However, due to the stories' short length, Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day would be an easy book to pick up during those 5-10 minute chunks of spare time in a day.
Loory's tales reminded me of reading a Chris Van Allsberg picture book: strong images and a slightly creepy feeling looming throughout. However, I was frustrated that none of his stories had endings (or at least, not endings in a traditional sense). Though I can appreciate the "twist and done" method of finishing a short story, I felt myself longing for more resolution in at least some of the stories.
However, due to the stories' short length, Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day would be an easy book to pick up during those 5-10 minute chunks of spare time in a day.
katieparker's review against another edition
3.0
UFOs and octopi and talking heads, oh my! The cover of Ben Loory’s Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day is what first drew me to the book, and after reading the review by Unabridged Chick, I knew I needed to download it right then. Inside are forty short (and I mean short) stories about everything from love to revenge and discovery to loss, usually using unexpected subjects.
My favorite story was probably “The House on the Cliff and the Sea,” in which the house and the sea fall in love with each other and try to be together. While the sea struggles to climb the cliff-face, the house tidies up inside to make the sea feel at home. I won’t spoil the outcome, but I will say it was satisfying, which is something I couldn’t say for many of Loory’s stories.
I’ll admit I’m not much of a connoisseur of short stories, but the endings of many of these felt abrupt and vague. I don’t need to be spoon fed the author’s intentions, but I just didn’t get a lot of these. One example is “The Tunnel,” in which a boy ventures into a drainpipe, leaving his friend behind. He eventually reaches the end where there is a door, and when he opens it up, he sees his friend asleep in his room. His friend sees him and screams, and “so the boy reaches out with one gnarled, twisted claw. Together the two boys reach the end.” I don’t even know what happened, much less what it means, and that was a common feeling that I had while reading this book.
Still, I enjoyed the use of fantastical subjects, like martians, animals, and even an opera-loving television set. I read this book while I was on a mini vacation on Washington’s Orcas Island with some friends, and occasionally I would have to read a passage to them, either because it was so amusing or so crazy.
If you’re just looking for something quick and easy to read, maybe something a little fun, then this is a good option. It’s certainly not a new favorite, and I’m a little hesitant to recommend it to a wider audience, but it has its merits and I can see how others might like it more than I did.
And, in case you’re wondering, the stories I liked the most were…
The House on the Cliff and the Sea
UFO: A Love Story
The Girl in the Storm
The Man and the Moose
The Shadow (the shortest, at only 21 words long)
Appendix (which is apparently not one of the other short stories)
My favorite story was probably “The House on the Cliff and the Sea,” in which the house and the sea fall in love with each other and try to be together. While the sea struggles to climb the cliff-face, the house tidies up inside to make the sea feel at home. I won’t spoil the outcome, but I will say it was satisfying, which is something I couldn’t say for many of Loory’s stories.
I’ll admit I’m not much of a connoisseur of short stories, but the endings of many of these felt abrupt and vague. I don’t need to be spoon fed the author’s intentions, but I just didn’t get a lot of these. One example is “The Tunnel,” in which a boy ventures into a drainpipe, leaving his friend behind. He eventually reaches the end where there is a door, and when he opens it up, he sees his friend asleep in his room. His friend sees him and screams, and “so the boy reaches out with one gnarled, twisted claw. Together the two boys reach the end.” I don’t even know what happened, much less what it means, and that was a common feeling that I had while reading this book.
Still, I enjoyed the use of fantastical subjects, like martians, animals, and even an opera-loving television set. I read this book while I was on a mini vacation on Washington’s Orcas Island with some friends, and occasionally I would have to read a passage to them, either because it was so amusing or so crazy.
If you’re just looking for something quick and easy to read, maybe something a little fun, then this is a good option. It’s certainly not a new favorite, and I’m a little hesitant to recommend it to a wider audience, but it has its merits and I can see how others might like it more than I did.
And, in case you’re wondering, the stories I liked the most were…
The House on the Cliff and the Sea
UFO: A Love Story
The Girl in the Storm
The Man and the Moose
The Shadow (the shortest, at only 21 words long)
Appendix (which is apparently not one of the other short stories)
fallingletters's review against another edition
3.0
Brief thoughts originally published 15 January 2015 at Falling Letters.
A brief and easy read containing 40 small tales (averaging perhaps four pages), it's hard not to recommend this even though many of the stories fell flat for me. You'll probably find a few tales to adore and even if you don't, reading the entire book won't have taken much of your time.
The first tale - "The Book" - convinced me to sign this out from the library. It's my favourite in the collection. Other stories I really liked: "The Tunnel", "Bigfoot", "The Little Girl and the Balloon", and "The Poet". A few stories aren't suited to my tastes, such as "The Man and the Moose" and "The Octopus". I suppose I don't like animals that fit in just as normal humans/talking animals.
I enjoy the atmosphere and style (dreamy, fog induced) of all the stories, if not the substance. I like the absence of names and succinct, matter-of-fact prose. I like the open ended-ness of most of the tales. I can barely tolerate open endings in long-form fiction, but I love it in short-form. Loory's stories are bare bones fables, containing just enough to fire your imagination. I can fill in the gaps however I like and if I can't fill them in to my satisfaction, then I can take comfort in imagining that the author knew just what was happening in their tale even if the reader can't figure it out. These are just the kind of stories you might expect from a collection with this title. Though they do not explicitly interconnect, their themes and moods fit well beside each other.
All that being said, some of the stories don't manage to pull off what the most successful do. The sparseness doesn't satisfy; the oddness feels a bit too weird; my imagination needs a few more tidbits to be satisfied.
Why three stars? I liked this collection, some stories more than others, and the writing is my style, but the tales themselves didn't really click any deeper for me. Probably a good read if it intrigues you at all, but nothing deeply memorable for me.
A brief and easy read containing 40 small tales (averaging perhaps four pages), it's hard not to recommend this even though many of the stories fell flat for me. You'll probably find a few tales to adore and even if you don't, reading the entire book won't have taken much of your time.
The first tale - "The Book" - convinced me to sign this out from the library. It's my favourite in the collection. Other stories I really liked: "The Tunnel", "Bigfoot", "The Little Girl and the Balloon", and "The Poet". A few stories aren't suited to my tastes, such as "The Man and the Moose" and "The Octopus". I suppose I don't like animals that fit in just as normal humans/talking animals.
I enjoy the atmosphere and style (dreamy, fog induced) of all the stories, if not the substance. I like the absence of names and succinct, matter-of-fact prose. I like the open ended-ness of most of the tales. I can barely tolerate open endings in long-form fiction, but I love it in short-form. Loory's stories are bare bones fables, containing just enough to fire your imagination. I can fill in the gaps however I like and if I can't fill them in to my satisfaction, then I can take comfort in imagining that the author knew just what was happening in their tale even if the reader can't figure it out. These are just the kind of stories you might expect from a collection with this title. Though they do not explicitly interconnect, their themes and moods fit well beside each other.
All that being said, some of the stories don't manage to pull off what the most successful do. The sparseness doesn't satisfy; the oddness feels a bit too weird; my imagination needs a few more tidbits to be satisfied.
Why three stars? I liked this collection, some stories more than others, and the writing is my style, but the tales themselves didn't really click any deeper for me. Probably a good read if it intrigues you at all, but nothing deeply memorable for me.
Once there was a man who was afraid of his shadow.
Then he met it.
Now he glows in the dark. (58)
enelya's review against another edition
2.0
A collection of very short horror stories written by … . I’m a huge fan of short stories (oh, I also enjoy the long, drawn out in various tomes ones), but there’s something about the simplicity of short stories, the fact that you can pick one from a book in the 5 minute commute to work, on those last few moments of your lunch break, that I really enjoy. I also really enjoy dark themes, but I had never read a book of short horror stories before.
I felt a bit dsappointed. The story writing is very good, don’t take me wrong, but a lot of the stories featured have a morale, and more behind them that you could write long essays on their meaning and metaphors. So yes, they’re great from an English class viewpoint, (and students all over the country would relinquish in reading them over some boring old texts from the past), but they’re not the easy “snack” that I’d have been looking for in a compilation of short stories.
Inside you’ll find dark tunnels and passageways, aliens from other worlds and from this one, lifes that are your own but then aren’t, stolen dreams and much more. Some could keep you awake at night if you keep thinking long about them. None you’ll make you laugh.
This book is for fans of the genre and all of you who like to find the hidden message behind things.
I felt a bit dsappointed. The story writing is very good, don’t take me wrong, but a lot of the stories featured have a morale, and more behind them that you could write long essays on their meaning and metaphors. So yes, they’re great from an English class viewpoint, (and students all over the country would relinquish in reading them over some boring old texts from the past), but they’re not the easy “snack” that I’d have been looking for in a compilation of short stories.
Inside you’ll find dark tunnels and passageways, aliens from other worlds and from this one, lifes that are your own but then aren’t, stolen dreams and much more. Some could keep you awake at night if you keep thinking long about them. None you’ll make you laugh.
This book is for fans of the genre and all of you who like to find the hidden message behind things.
courtandspark's review against another edition
3.0
This author read a story on This American Life and I thought it was quirky and unique. Turns out there’s so much unique quirkiness that it all blends together and loses its luster.
thejoyofbooking's review against another edition
4.0
Ben Loory has put together collection of some of the creepiest, most thought-provoking stories I’ve read in a long time. The best part is that the creepy isn’t always from the supernatural element – which is frequently there – but from the parallel that can be drawn for every day life.
It’s hard to provide an example without giving away the end of the stories, but they’re there and they’re beautiful. There’s a ton in this collection for anyone who like fantasy or science fiction of any type, and I’d heartily recommend it for book clubs – there’s lots to discuss.
And look at that cover! Simply gorgeous – that’s what attracted me in the first place, but the writing kept me around.
It’s hard to provide an example without giving away the end of the stories, but they’re there and they’re beautiful. There’s a ton in this collection for anyone who like fantasy or science fiction of any type, and I’d heartily recommend it for book clubs – there’s lots to discuss.
And look at that cover! Simply gorgeous – that’s what attracted me in the first place, but the writing kept me around.
jcschildbach's review against another edition
4.0
The stories in this book would be excellent for teaching literature--especially literary interpretation--and I mean that as a high compliment. Most of the stories do not have a clear resolution; and Loory rarely nails down much of anything to the point where specific meanings can be definitively assigned. I imagine English classes from grade school to grad school selecting any one of the very short stories in this book, and engaging in lengthy debates about what each element means--then trying to determine if the end of the story is really the end, and if so..., and if not...
Almost in contrast to the notion of open interpretation, the imagery Loory uses is quite vivid. The deceptively simple language projects clear mind movies--for me those were most often like pleasantly twisted cartoons. Strangely enough, some of those images seem forever burned into my brain, as if I really had seen cartoons based on the stories in the book.
If I have one 'complaint', it's that the book can be overly dense at times. Somewhat like my aversion to reading poetry, I had to be in the right space to take on each story. But also like with poetry, by giving myself the time to wander through at a leisurely pace, the reading became more rewarding. That is, while it would be possible to blast through this book in an afternoon or a part of an afternoon, this isn't a book meant for speed-reading.
With the feel of fable or parable, or perhaps even mythology or religion, Loory's work here has much more weight than it's 200-ish pages (with frequent gaps between paragraphs) suggests.
Almost in contrast to the notion of open interpretation, the imagery Loory uses is quite vivid. The deceptively simple language projects clear mind movies--for me those were most often like pleasantly twisted cartoons. Strangely enough, some of those images seem forever burned into my brain, as if I really had seen cartoons based on the stories in the book.
If I have one 'complaint', it's that the book can be overly dense at times. Somewhat like my aversion to reading poetry, I had to be in the right space to take on each story. But also like with poetry, by giving myself the time to wander through at a leisurely pace, the reading became more rewarding. That is, while it would be possible to blast through this book in an afternoon or a part of an afternoon, this isn't a book meant for speed-reading.
With the feel of fable or parable, or perhaps even mythology or religion, Loory's work here has much more weight than it's 200-ish pages (with frequent gaps between paragraphs) suggests.
lalasel's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
nicolebonia's review against another edition
4.0
Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day is a beguiling and thought-provoking collection of short fiction that strays from the beaten path, but is better for following its own rhythm. I haven’t found many collections of short stories that I like, but it was pleasure to read through these, and I will do so again. I recommend them not only for short fiction readers but for those who enjoy the meditative quality of art. These stories are open wide to and welcome many interpretations.
mellomellomello's review against another edition
4.0
Whenever you need to remember the possibilities read this book.