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blahflahlablahx's review
5.0
“Honeymoon and other stories”
By Kevin Canty
Vintage Books
New York, 2002
In Honeymoon: And Other Stories stories by Kevin Canty, a world of daring love and uncontrollable desire take control of many people that are just like you and me. In this world, we are on a search for ourselves and try to find out who we really are through the trials and tribulations we claim to be part of our lives. We smile, cry, and laugh, but we in turn experience pleasure, pain, anger and sadness all within a matter of mere seconds. Kevin Canty takes this perspective of the world to another level with his short stories in this novel including Tokyo, my love, Aquarium, Flipper, Honeymoon, Carolina Beach, Red Dress, Sleepers Holding Hands, Little Debbie, Scarecrow, Little Palaces, and Girlfriend Hit by Bus. Taking a glance at the titles, it’s almost impossible to see how each story could be about love or barely a hint of passion. That’s just how clever Canty is. It’s almost like a mind trick on the reader. I know it was for me.
When I choose a novel to read, the title is what grabs my attention and with Honeymoon, it compelled me to want to find out what the mystery was behind the title. I wanted to discover what emotions it would cause me to feel and how I would look at the world after reading such a book. I can tell you right now, it gave me a different understanding about the world and the love that one can accidentally fall into day by day whether it be about an overweight boy just trying to find someone that is willing to understand him like in Flipper or a woman who has problems helping her nephew to be a better person only to disconnect herself from rational thought and her inner self in Aquarium. Each story in its unique way has a love that encompasses all that we try to search for in ourselves with the help of exploring others in the process.
Each story in a small way had that impact on me. I could learn from each character’s mistakes whether it is from Dr. Parker’s overwhelming lust in Sleepers Holding Hands or Evelyn’s confused and weary self in Little Palaces. At the end of each tale, there was always an afterthought for me as I pondered why a character chose to act this way or that. With all the stories combined, the answer is clear. They all acted on the impulse of love and wanting to feel needed. The desire to take a chance on love only led to each character finding out who they were. They were all really amazing stories to read as they were all different, but still one in the same. I strongly recommend this book to those out there on their journey to understanding who they are as they simultaneously try to grasp the meaning of love. I know that I now have a deeper appreciation for love and the struggle one has to go through to find the right person to share it with. Honeymoon: And Other Stories embraces the meaningful and soulful life of people who truly are like ourselves, just like you and me, trying to find those moments in time that can never be replaced, not for anything.
By Kevin Canty
Vintage Books
New York, 2002
In Honeymoon: And Other Stories stories by Kevin Canty, a world of daring love and uncontrollable desire take control of many people that are just like you and me. In this world, we are on a search for ourselves and try to find out who we really are through the trials and tribulations we claim to be part of our lives. We smile, cry, and laugh, but we in turn experience pleasure, pain, anger and sadness all within a matter of mere seconds. Kevin Canty takes this perspective of the world to another level with his short stories in this novel including Tokyo, my love, Aquarium, Flipper, Honeymoon, Carolina Beach, Red Dress, Sleepers Holding Hands, Little Debbie, Scarecrow, Little Palaces, and Girlfriend Hit by Bus. Taking a glance at the titles, it’s almost impossible to see how each story could be about love or barely a hint of passion. That’s just how clever Canty is. It’s almost like a mind trick on the reader. I know it was for me.
When I choose a novel to read, the title is what grabs my attention and with Honeymoon, it compelled me to want to find out what the mystery was behind the title. I wanted to discover what emotions it would cause me to feel and how I would look at the world after reading such a book. I can tell you right now, it gave me a different understanding about the world and the love that one can accidentally fall into day by day whether it be about an overweight boy just trying to find someone that is willing to understand him like in Flipper or a woman who has problems helping her nephew to be a better person only to disconnect herself from rational thought and her inner self in Aquarium. Each story in its unique way has a love that encompasses all that we try to search for in ourselves with the help of exploring others in the process.
Each story in a small way had that impact on me. I could learn from each character’s mistakes whether it is from Dr. Parker’s overwhelming lust in Sleepers Holding Hands or Evelyn’s confused and weary self in Little Palaces. At the end of each tale, there was always an afterthought for me as I pondered why a character chose to act this way or that. With all the stories combined, the answer is clear. They all acted on the impulse of love and wanting to feel needed. The desire to take a chance on love only led to each character finding out who they were. They were all really amazing stories to read as they were all different, but still one in the same. I strongly recommend this book to those out there on their journey to understanding who they are as they simultaneously try to grasp the meaning of love. I know that I now have a deeper appreciation for love and the struggle one has to go through to find the right person to share it with. Honeymoon: And Other Stories embraces the meaningful and soulful life of people who truly are like ourselves, just like you and me, trying to find those moments in time that can never be replaced, not for anything.
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