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graggirl's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 Stars.
This book hovers between three and four stars for me. The stories I liked I liked a lot. But the ones I didn't, did not add anything by inclusion. They were just off putting. I also think the timing of reading added to my enjoyment. If it was the middle of summer (and not October) I don't know if the weird and surreal worlds in this book would grab me as much. There is no great theme that ties all the stories together for me except: offbeat/strange. Entertaining read. I would have enjoyed them more as magazine fiction in bite size pieces.
I really enjoyed the stories where people were trying to make sense of the illogical world around them. Because aren't we all doing that on a daily basis?
This book hovers between three and four stars for me. The stories I liked I liked a lot. But the ones I didn't, did not add anything by inclusion. They were just off putting. I also think the timing of reading added to my enjoyment. If it was the middle of summer (and not October) I don't know if the weird and surreal worlds in this book would grab me as much. There is no great theme that ties all the stories together for me except: offbeat/strange. Entertaining read. I would have enjoyed them more as magazine fiction in bite size pieces.
I really enjoyed the stories where people were trying to make sense of the illogical world around them. Because aren't we all doing that on a daily basis?
ben_miller's review against another edition
I reviewed this book for the Colorado Review. Here's a representative sample:
"In twenty-five stories (twenty-six if you count an unusually haunting Note on the Type), Michel ventures through a tainted American landscape full of monsters, pitfalls, neglected gods, and robot butlers. The appeal here is in being disoriented, moving abruptly from one reality to another—even within the confines of a single piece. The slow dissolution of a marriage can, and will, be interrupted by episodes of paranoid delusion or paranormal fear. A story that begins as an Edith Wharton-like drama of sexual rivalry can transform smoothly into a spot-the-imposter murder tale. Michel tries on a variety of structures and genres, and in the process he lets some seriously wild animals out to play."
Full review here.
"In twenty-five stories (twenty-six if you count an unusually haunting Note on the Type), Michel ventures through a tainted American landscape full of monsters, pitfalls, neglected gods, and robot butlers. The appeal here is in being disoriented, moving abruptly from one reality to another—even within the confines of a single piece. The slow dissolution of a marriage can, and will, be interrupted by episodes of paranoid delusion or paranormal fear. A story that begins as an Edith Wharton-like drama of sexual rivalry can transform smoothly into a spot-the-imposter murder tale. Michel tries on a variety of structures and genres, and in the process he lets some seriously wild animals out to play."
Full review here.
servemethesky's review against another edition
4.0
I cranked through this little volume of short stories quite quickly and really enjoyed them all! Each one cultivates an air of strangeness that both alienates us and pulls us in all at the same time. That was a fascinating dynamic- I'm feeling enough of the eerie vibe to want to draw back, but instead, I got sucked in. The final story, "Getting There Nonetheless" was probably my favorite.
I would love to see a novel from this author! This collection was really great reading, but as always with short stories, I found them too...short. They left me wanting more. I'd really like to see what Michel can do with a full novel! I'm sure it would be an enthralling read.
I would love to see a novel from this author! This collection was really great reading, but as always with short stories, I found them too...short. They left me wanting more. I'd really like to see what Michel can do with a full novel! I'm sure it would be an enthralling read.
frankieisreading's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
kiramke's review against another edition
4.0
Weird and disconcerting and sharp. Several very good stories and few I was indifferent to. I'm glad I own this collection and can come back to it again.
meredithjao's review against another edition
5.0
Very inspiring for my own writing. Surreal, fascinating, strange stuff in here.
alissanelson's review against another edition
4.0
Weird little short stories -- some stronger and more evocative than others -- highlighting the angry, intolerant, and generally less palatable parts of humanity. I think that Michel is at his best with a bit more to dig into, so I prefer the longer stories in this collection, particularly the last two and "About the Typeface".
(Rounded up from 3.5, for whatever that's worth)
(Rounded up from 3.5, for whatever that's worth)
sarahjjs's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 It's not my favourite but it's unique. They really work because they all deal with the small, often insignificant dark human behaviours that are typically overlooked for more menacing plot points.
lauralhart's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this collection of unsettling stories by a former professor of mine. Favorites were "Our New Neighborhood," "Halfway Home to Somewhere Else," "What You Need to Know About the Weathervane," "Lawn Dad," "The Mayor's Plan," "Colony," and "Dark Air."