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jmatkinson1's review against another edition
4.0
A series of short stories about the people of Corpus Christi, a city on the Gulf of Mexico, hot and occasionally stormy. The people are working class in the main and their lives are simple yet each has a story to tell. Many of the tales are linked and several feature the same characters over a period of time.
I have to admit that I am not a fan of short stories but this collection could convert me. The writing is wonderful, Johnston gets under the skin of his characters and describes their feelings and actions in an intimate way. His descriptions of landscapes and moods are lyrical and definitely not overblown.
I have to admit that I am not a fan of short stories but this collection could convert me. The writing is wonderful, Johnston gets under the skin of his characters and describes their feelings and actions in an intimate way. His descriptions of landscapes and moods are lyrical and definitely not overblown.
jenlowe's review against another edition
4.0
"Here's what I want to say: Truth is a coiling, slippery thing, and you can receive it any number of ways."
kawai's review
4.0
Most people who follow even just a clutch of literary magazines are familiar with Bret Anthony Johnston's stories, which consistently grace the "Best Of" anthology, while also appearing in a wide range of magazines, including Ploughshares, The Paris Review, and others.
And much like that work, this (now early) volume in Johnston's career shows off what he's best at: writing about the raw and painful thoughts that come in the quiet moments of lives that are being pushed to the point of breaking.
And while the collection can start to feel a bit redundant if you read it straight through--almost every family has at least one of its nuclear members dead or on the way out, the protagonists are all insightful and shy young men, ethnic/economic markers are minimal, illness tends to be the fulcrum of the plot--it is, nonetheless, incredibly tender and moving.
Johnston's work has only gotten better since this collection, but all his best tools are on display here, as well: Great dialogue, effective and strategic use of simile/metaphor, diamond-sharp exposition. Well worth the read, whether you're familiar with his more recent work or not.
And much like that work, this (now early) volume in Johnston's career shows off what he's best at: writing about the raw and painful thoughts that come in the quiet moments of lives that are being pushed to the point of breaking.
And while the collection can start to feel a bit redundant if you read it straight through--almost every family has at least one of its nuclear members dead or on the way out, the protagonists are all insightful and shy young men, ethnic/economic markers are minimal, illness tends to be the fulcrum of the plot--it is, nonetheless, incredibly tender and moving.
Johnston's work has only gotten better since this collection, but all his best tools are on display here, as well: Great dialogue, effective and strategic use of simile/metaphor, diamond-sharp exposition. Well worth the read, whether you're familiar with his more recent work or not.
jackielaw's review
5.0
Corpus Christi, by Bret Anthony Johnston, is a collection of ten short stories exploring the intimacies of human relationships. Each story is set in or around the town of Corpus Christi in Texas, USA. There are crossovers within the tales such that the reader quickly becomes immersed in the setting.
The relationships in each story vary. Some are familial, cross generational; others feature friendship, sometimes lovers. There are accidents, violence, stormy weather and loss. The challenges of living within and without marriage, parenting, and adolescence are explored.
A triptych of tales offer snapshots of the day to day trials of a terminally ill widow being cared for by her adult son. The difficulty of communication is brought into sharp relief.
A good short story must capture the readers attention from the off, have a purposeful plot and satisfying denouement. Each of these tales left me sated. The narrative throughout is steeped in the melancholy of life. When concluded I had to walk away to process what I had just read.
The writing seeps poignancy but avoids sentimentality. Feelings evoked are raw, intense, the rarely acknowledged expressed with piercing clarity. The sparse prose gets under the skin and touches the heart. The trials detailed and the ripples of their effect exquisitely portrayed.
“parents, children and lovers some together and fall apart, bonded and battered by memories of loss that they feel as acutely as physical pain. […] events cut people loose from their regular lives, floating and spiralling away from where we had been the day before.”
A fine collection of stories from an accomplished writer. This is a rewarding read.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Two Roads.
The relationships in each story vary. Some are familial, cross generational; others feature friendship, sometimes lovers. There are accidents, violence, stormy weather and loss. The challenges of living within and without marriage, parenting, and adolescence are explored.
A triptych of tales offer snapshots of the day to day trials of a terminally ill widow being cared for by her adult son. The difficulty of communication is brought into sharp relief.
A good short story must capture the readers attention from the off, have a purposeful plot and satisfying denouement. Each of these tales left me sated. The narrative throughout is steeped in the melancholy of life. When concluded I had to walk away to process what I had just read.
The writing seeps poignancy but avoids sentimentality. Feelings evoked are raw, intense, the rarely acknowledged expressed with piercing clarity. The sparse prose gets under the skin and touches the heart. The trials detailed and the ripples of their effect exquisitely portrayed.
“parents, children and lovers some together and fall apart, bonded and battered by memories of loss that they feel as acutely as physical pain. […] events cut people loose from their regular lives, floating and spiralling away from where we had been the day before.”
A fine collection of stories from an accomplished writer. This is a rewarding read.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Two Roads.
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