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erikbergstrom's review
3.0
I usually wouldn't include the Acknowledgements section in my review, but Roger McKnight encapsulates his collection so well in his commentary by recalling the Fable of the Spider and the Bee. In Hopeful Monsters, McKnight effortlessly writes from the perspective of both the spider, collecting second-hand information and spinning stories, and the bee, energized by curiosity and imagination. Though each story has a similar setting (and one I subjectively love reading about, living among it) the people are vastly different and hold different experiences. It's a "melting pot" book with McKnight's own clever way of viewing and re-telling each characters' slice of life story.
One thing all stories share is the way humans interact, whether it's by telling stories, educating, comparing experiences, or a mix of all of them. McKnight does it much like a magician—you could see the engineering behind his tricks if you looked, but his voice lulls you instead into sitting back and simply enjoying each story.
A great achievement for both McKnight and STORGY in their first collection!
One thing all stories share is the way humans interact, whether it's by telling stories, educating, comparing experiences, or a mix of all of them. McKnight does it much like a magician—you could see the engineering behind his tricks if you looked, but his voice lulls you instead into sitting back and simply enjoying each story.
A great achievement for both McKnight and STORGY in their first collection!
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