Scan barcode
gadicohen93's review against another edition
5.0
These short stories follow people through situations where they find themselves out of their depths -- lost, afraid, the environment and the people around them strange, cynical, unforgiving in casual violence. And yet each and every one of the stories is a distinct gem. Rarely do I finish a book of short stories and can vividly remember the characters, plots and settings of each and every one.
If I were to name my favorite stories, it would be the majority of them: The first, of the kidnapped ornithologist; the woman whose soldier husband comes back with a voodoo wife; the golfer ensnared in Mynamar's dictatorial politics; the poor man caught in Haiti's cocaine ecosystem; and the aid worker forced to face the facts of war in Sierra Leone.
The breadth of settings is held together by the sense of cynical, even ironic morality that undergirds each of these characters. I left each story weirdly satisfied by the way Fountain confronts the world's inhumanity and caprice. And the best part is that he dishes up every word on a pinpoint, his sentences like flecks of paint congealing into a pointillist masterpiece. Every metaphor, simile, line of dialogue felt perfect, and they all amounted to fiction in its highest form.
If I were to name my favorite stories, it would be the majority of them: The first, of the kidnapped ornithologist; the woman whose soldier husband comes back with a voodoo wife; the golfer ensnared in Mynamar's dictatorial politics; the poor man caught in Haiti's cocaine ecosystem; and the aid worker forced to face the facts of war in Sierra Leone.
The breadth of settings is held together by the sense of cynical, even ironic morality that undergirds each of these characters. I left each story weirdly satisfied by the way Fountain confronts the world's inhumanity and caprice. And the best part is that he dishes up every word on a pinpoint, his sentences like flecks of paint congealing into a pointillist masterpiece. Every metaphor, simile, line of dialogue felt perfect, and they all amounted to fiction in its highest form.
lsparrow's review against another edition
2.0
an interesting collection of short stories about revolution and lives changed by the chaos of revolution. I had expected more about che - although really it is merely a reference.
corlaine's review against another edition
5.0
These are not pick-me-up stories but powerful and well written. This is one I loan out constantly.
jaraddavis02's review against another edition
5.0
What is at the root of the decisions we make, moral or otherwise, is always a fascinating wondering of mine. What leads us in one direction or another? What processes of justification do we sift through in order accept the consequences of our choices?
This seems to be what is at the heart of Ben Fountain’s book of short stories, “Brief Encounters With Che Guevara”. In it are eight captivating stories of people, sometimes in foreign lands, having to decide between right and wrong; which are not as clear as we would like to think they are. I appreciated how Fountain provoked you to grapple with the issues these characters were dealing with as if you were right there by their side consulting. The beauty of fiction is it opens your eyes to many of the matters of contention you may have in your own life. I’d recommend this book for those that appreciate or those that need to better understand that life is often a collection of nuanced choices.
This seems to be what is at the heart of Ben Fountain’s book of short stories, “Brief Encounters With Che Guevara”. In it are eight captivating stories of people, sometimes in foreign lands, having to decide between right and wrong; which are not as clear as we would like to think they are. I appreciated how Fountain provoked you to grapple with the issues these characters were dealing with as if you were right there by their side consulting. The beauty of fiction is it opens your eyes to many of the matters of contention you may have in your own life. I’d recommend this book for those that appreciate or those that need to better understand that life is often a collection of nuanced choices.
tstuppy's review against another edition
5.0
A stellar collection; I really enjoyed these stories and will be recommending them
essjay1's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book a long time ago and it was definitely worth revisiting. More than ten years have passed since its publication, yet only the names are different. The collection of essays is set in countries like Haiti, Columbia, Myanmar, Cuba ... told with a wry kind of humour, and leaving the reader with questions on the state of humanity. Questioning our morality in difficult situations, our courage, the futility of going against big government, or big business. Very thought provoking, even philosophical in his observations.
mastben11's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorite reads of the year. I read the first piece in high school and found the collection as enthralling as I remember that one to be. Easy to read but packed with bite and emotion.
patriciareedreads's review against another edition
5.0
Great short stories
These are thought-provoking and unusual stories, creating a page turning experience within each one. I enjoyed being immersed in different countries and eras in each unique story.
These are thought-provoking and unusual stories, creating a page turning experience within each one. I enjoyed being immersed in different countries and eras in each unique story.
peelspls's review against another edition
4.0
Sometimes the flow of the text was hard to read but the narratives are gripping. The author covers the escalation of events very well. The stories are from different war-torn or distressed parts of the world, a lot of them centered around Haiti. Almost all of the stories have a the political scaffolding of revolution, war, decolonization, drugs or abject poverty tohem. My favorite is Bouki and the Cocaine, which blurs the line of magical realism.
chatb's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. Bouki and The Cocaine, The Good Ones Are Already Taken and the self entitled story are among my favorites of this compilation. Brief Encounters of Che Guevara was like taking a trip to various locations and receiving a historical and cultural lesson has well. What prevented me from giving this book five stories is the last story, Fantasy for Eleven Fingers. The story was absolutely terrible. I was determined not to finish it. It was confusing and bland. I didn't connect with any of the characters. The story was so bad, there was a moment when a character was thought to have committed suicide and I actually became excited hoping in turn I would be put out of my misery as well. I wish that story had not made the cut or fell somewhere in the middle of the book. A poor finish to an otherwise intriguing work.