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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
This is a silly audiobook send up of self-discovery of an American kid on a study abroad in Italy in 1993. At the outset, it seems there will be plenty for those who have studied abroad to relate to, but the plot quickly turns farcical just a few minutes in as young Jack from Nebraska gets mixed up with a washed up television actor from America and a famous Italian movie star while he studies Latin at the Vatican. Antics follow.
I had hoped to find more of the characteristic complexity and depth I’ve discovered in Jess Walter’s other short stories, which felt absent here until near the story's redemptive end. The outlandish characters, being so far removed from my experience, were hard to relate to. As I'm not a voracious audiobook consumer, perhaps my unfamiliarity with the medium was part of the issue. What kept me listening were Walter's pacing and gift for storytelling and Ballerini’s superb narration skills.
I enjoy Walter's writing. He's a tremendous talent. I'm looking forward to his forthcoming short story collection in which The Angel of Rome is the title track. Perhaps a redo on the written page will prove more satisfying.
I had hoped to find more of the characteristic complexity and depth I’ve discovered in Jess Walter’s other short stories, which felt absent here until near the story's redemptive end. The outlandish characters, being so far removed from my experience, were hard to relate to. As I'm not a voracious audiobook consumer, perhaps my unfamiliarity with the medium was part of the issue. What kept me listening were Walter's pacing and gift for storytelling and Ballerini’s superb narration skills.
I enjoy Walter's writing. He's a tremendous talent. I'm looking forward to his forthcoming short story collection in which The Angel of Rome is the title track. Perhaps a redo on the written page will prove more satisfying.
medium-paced
Jess Walter is a master. I'm typically not a huge fan of short stories, but this is a great collection.
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was OK. I vacillated between two and three stars. The Ronnie Tower guy was a great character. I would’ve loved to have seen and heard more on and from him.
I'm not usually a huge fan of short story collections, but this one came highly recommended so I knew I had to read it. This is a great short story collection for those who don't always like short stories. Each story was a good read, and I enjoyed the mix of longer and shorter stories. Town and Country might have been my favorite, and I hope to end up somewhere similar one day :).
4.5
Magnificent! Even though this is truly a collection - these stories were all published elsewhere and then collected in this book - they hang together thematically amazingly well. They're stories about authenticity, self-awareness, our current fraught moment of disregarding facts, and past trauma affecting current relationships.
My favorites are the two longest stories, "The Angel of Rome" and "The Way the World Ends" are my favorites, but overall favorite is the story "Town & Country" about a gay man in Idaho trying to figure out what to do about his asshole father who has dementia. Funny, heartfelt, and as Jess Walter-esque as you can get.
If you're a Jess Walter fan, you'll love this too.
Magnificent! Even though this is truly a collection - these stories were all published elsewhere and then collected in this book - they hang together thematically amazingly well. They're stories about authenticity, self-awareness, our current fraught moment of disregarding facts, and past trauma affecting current relationships.
My favorites are the two longest stories, "The Angel of Rome" and "The Way the World Ends" are my favorites, but overall favorite is the story "Town & Country" about a gay man in Idaho trying to figure out what to do about his asshole father who has dementia. Funny, heartfelt, and as Jess Walter-esque as you can get.
If you're a Jess Walter fan, you'll love this too.