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chillcox15's review against another edition
5.0
Andrew Martin continues to make the case as a preminent White Male Writer™, as he captures in this story collection a variety of well-educated, stalled-out millennials falling in and out of love, all hovering somewhere in the vicinity of failure. Martin could so easily be insufferable, but his skill at pinning down and surgically revealing his characters make his work crucial, not onanistic-cum-flagellatory.
reallivejim's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
icequeen13's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.0
gabi_francisco's review against another edition
3.0
"Anyone who doesn't not want to be in Secret Book Club, say nothing" (Childhood, Boyhood, Youth)
that smarmy, sharp way of thinking runs through main characters of stories. not sure how much i loved it in the end, not many stories of america but just missoula, montana & anxious, pretentious, flailing ~writers~
andrew martin LOVES montana, so much so that i had to look it up and yeah he got his MFA from the University of Montana. makes sense, but if u don't want to put it in your dust jacket bio then idk write less stories about the place.
still was entertaining, had good one-liner mediations on life & other people
that smarmy, sharp way of thinking runs through main characters of stories. not sure how much i loved it in the end, not many stories of america but just missoula, montana & anxious, pretentious, flailing ~writers~
andrew martin LOVES montana, so much so that i had to look it up and yeah he got his MFA from the University of Montana. makes sense, but if u don't want to put it in your dust jacket bio then idk write less stories about the place.
still was entertaining, had good one-liner mediations on life & other people
robs320's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
raykluender's review against another edition
5.0
The touchpoints of this story collection (depression, Rites of Spring and the teenage punk scene, Larry McMurtry novels, drinking to excess, a brand of self-loathing particular to the overeducated) are all things I’ve aspired to or indulged in at various points in my life, which made the each of these stories hit the way Martin presumably intended. I typically have a hard time getting through short story collections—as someone with a terrible memory for characters, finding my footing in a new story takes effort I’m not always willing to invest—but this was a delightful exception. I’m sure this is in part due to the familiarity of the emotions and experiences, but these stories were pitch-perfect for me. Looking forward to reading his novel.
fschulenberg's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Really good. So refreshing to have unique stories that feel so real and unexpected. The endings are magnificently abrupt- suggesting that morals, if applicable, are rarely as idealized and clear as we’d like them to be.
okfrog's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This was boring to me but I enjoyed reading it with David on the airplane. I cringe too much.. but the hipsters in here were too much
drewbutler's review against another edition
4.0
How It Feels To Not Be In Control
For those who’ve read Andrew Martin’s debut novel Early Work, there was a distinct feeling of aimlessness and anxiety throughout. At its core was a person who felt rudderless and as if they were falling behind as their peers gained control over their destinies and in a sense, left him behind. That feeling is present again in these collection of stories, but with a broader range of characters. Martin explores some familiar faces and places, with Montana featuring prominently once again some friends we met in Early Work, but he also introduces us to some new ones. The theme of substance abuse runs heavily throughout, but it points to the underlying helplessness that our characters feel. Someone always has it together better than they do. Someone always has expectations they aren’t living up to. It’s a very specific feeling, and Martin’s characters inhabit it in a myriad of ways.
The main theme I took away from this collection was not how many different ways someone can feel adrift and rudderless, but how many different ways there are to respond to it. We see some who continue to push on towards a goal they know deep down they will likely never reach. Others abandon any hope and spiral, regardless of the consequences. The feeling is not unique to our characters, but their responses are.
Like Early Work, these stories can make you laugh and then punch you right in the gut. We don’t get very long with each character, but most are still well-developed and given enough facets to see them clearly. A great collection of stories, and I’m excited to see what he writes next.
For those who’ve read Andrew Martin’s debut novel Early Work, there was a distinct feeling of aimlessness and anxiety throughout. At its core was a person who felt rudderless and as if they were falling behind as their peers gained control over their destinies and in a sense, left him behind. That feeling is present again in these collection of stories, but with a broader range of characters. Martin explores some familiar faces and places, with Montana featuring prominently once again some friends we met in Early Work, but he also introduces us to some new ones. The theme of substance abuse runs heavily throughout, but it points to the underlying helplessness that our characters feel. Someone always has it together better than they do. Someone always has expectations they aren’t living up to. It’s a very specific feeling, and Martin’s characters inhabit it in a myriad of ways.
The main theme I took away from this collection was not how many different ways someone can feel adrift and rudderless, but how many different ways there are to respond to it. We see some who continue to push on towards a goal they know deep down they will likely never reach. Others abandon any hope and spiral, regardless of the consequences. The feeling is not unique to our characters, but their responses are.
Like Early Work, these stories can make you laugh and then punch you right in the gut. We don’t get very long with each character, but most are still well-developed and given enough facets to see them clearly. A great collection of stories, and I’m excited to see what he writes next.