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paola_mobileread's review against another edition
3.0
Collection of short stories, with some themes resurfacing throughout, including being an immigrant/outsider, homosexual sex (with its mechanics described to the limit of boredom), comparisons between the sparseness of Australia and the compactness of the rest of the world.
The substance not matching the writing quality, these vignettes sometimes trying too hard to show how the description of trivial details can become great literature. As others reviews have noted, by the end I had had quite enough.
The substance not matching the writing quality, these vignettes sometimes trying too hard to show how the description of trivial details can become great literature. As others reviews have noted, by the end I had had quite enough.
mikewa14's review against another edition
5.0
http://0651frombrighton.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/merciless-gods-chistos-tsiolkas.html
knitswithbeer's review against another edition
3.0
Brutal and coarse at times, these graphic short stories are not for the faint hearted.
blodeuedd's review against another edition
3.0
A bunch of short stories from Tsolkas. He is rather merciless, brutal and likes to shock with his words. He is honest in his words. He writes beauty in darkness.
Here are some short thoughts about all the short ones:
Merciless Gods
Friends tel lings revenge stories to each other. Interesting, revenge is always good to read about,
Tourists.
Tourists in NY. The couple fight and feel lost. I did not understand the woman...
The hair of the dog
A man thinks about his mother. She wrote freaky books.
Petals.
This one was, well it was just an inner monologue (mostly).
Hung phat
I get it now. Most are short insights into lives. Normal, but interesting.
Saturn Return
He does like to write about what he knows, Greeks in Australia.
Genetic material
Sometimes these are just weird..good, but weird
Jessica Lange in Frances
And another theme is of course being gay. Knowing you are. Exploring what you might be.
The disco at the end of Communism
A man thinking about the brother he lost
Sticks, stones
A woman wondering if she hates her son
Civil war
White Au against dark AU
The t-shirt with the fist on it
Tourists in the middle east.
Porn 1
A woman finding about her son's secret life
Porn 2
The making of a porno
Porno 3
About a man who thinks loving another man is wrong.
I liked the stories. They were all different, even if the theme behind many were the same. Being Greek, having Immigrant parents and being Gay.
Many times with short stories you are left thinking I want more, in that way that they felt too short, they did not work. But Tsalkos makes his short stories work. He does have that power of putting a story together in a short story, and leaving you satisfied at the end.
Here are some short thoughts about all the short ones:
Merciless Gods
Friends tel lings revenge stories to each other. Interesting, revenge is always good to read about,
Tourists.
Tourists in NY. The couple fight and feel lost. I did not understand the woman...
The hair of the dog
A man thinks about his mother. She wrote freaky books.
Petals.
This one was, well it was just an inner monologue (mostly).
Hung phat
I get it now. Most are short insights into lives. Normal, but interesting.
Saturn Return
He does like to write about what he knows, Greeks in Australia.
Genetic material
Sometimes these are just weird..good, but weird
Jessica Lange in Frances
And another theme is of course being gay. Knowing you are. Exploring what you might be.
The disco at the end of Communism
A man thinking about the brother he lost
Sticks, stones
A woman wondering if she hates her son
Civil war
White Au against dark AU
The t-shirt with the fist on it
Tourists in the middle east.
Porn 1
A woman finding about her son's secret life
Porn 2
The making of a porno
Porno 3
About a man who thinks loving another man is wrong.
I liked the stories. They were all different, even if the theme behind many were the same. Being Greek, having Immigrant parents and being Gay.
Many times with short stories you are left thinking I want more, in that way that they felt too short, they did not work. But Tsalkos makes his short stories work. He does have that power of putting a story together in a short story, and leaving you satisfied at the end.
helendeu's review against another edition
4.0
This is a collection of short stories that have previously been published. Once again Mr. Tsiolkas has written beautifully yet his anger shines through (or bitterness?). I'm betting he's really nice in person as he seems to get his anger at the world out in his writing. The first and title story was my favourite. It's one that won't leave me. Revenge always makes a good story!
claire_melanie's review
4.0
A wonderful collection of beautifully written stories. But they're also deeply unsettling as with other work by Tsiolkas. I'm yet to meet a character of his that is easy to like because they're all so truly human
robbo13's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mallly's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
doubledemin's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Incest and Rape