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caitpoytress's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my god, I have found the modern day, male Flannery O'Connor! Dark, disturbing tone? The grotesque? Religious themes? Check, check, and check. With Adrian though, we have medicine instead of the South.
The man is a freaking genius. Seriously, go read his bio - it's insane.
I loved every single story in this collection and I can't wait to read The Children's Hospital.
The man is a freaking genius. Seriously, go read his bio - it's insane.
I loved every single story in this collection and I can't wait to read The Children's Hospital.
scheu's review against another edition
5.0
If you liked the slightly weird storytelling of Chris Adrian from his novel The Children's Hospital you'll probably like his short stories just as much. I was surprised to read the first 9/11-related story I've ever enjoyed (among others) ...
lindsayharmon's review against another edition
4.0
According to the jacket flap copy, Chris Adrian is a pediatrician and a divinity student as well as a damn fine fiction writer. His other careers inform these stories, which explore illness (both physical and mental), death, and grief. But I have to say that if Adrian was my minister or my kid's pediatrician, I'd be a little nervous--this stuff is very dark, and a little twisted.
sarahfrog's review against another edition
4.0
These were well-written, eloquent, and often disturbing short stories. I thought it was really good.
ajkhn's review against another edition
5.0
Oh wow. It's a small collection of short stories, and it's probably the only short story collection I've read. At least since high school. (EDIT: Besides Wells Tower's Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned) I have friends who love short stories, but I always thought I'd rather have something long to really chew on.
With that skepticism in hand, I bought this as an e-book based solely off an Aaron Bady reference to "a kid in 19th century Ohio who has visions of 9/11" which is about as perfect an elevator pitch as I thought you could have. But there are better ones in the book: a high schooler with a dead dad who discovers that he is the antichrist, a child inhabited by the spirits of those killed on 9/11, and that sort of thing. There is an awful lot of "the same" in the books: lots of sick children, lots of 9/11, but those are pretty ripe areas for exploration so it's hard to get too surprised or upset by that.
And they're all pretty incredible stories. In every story, the first few paragraphs are things of wonder. I usually read them and sighed, angry that I can't write like that. And then I would read them again and again, before I even got to the story.
But the stories are fantastic. Lots of kids in there that I could really empathize with, lots of adults that I hoped I'd never become. They are all quite spellbinding in their use of the surreal and dark in otherwise "normal" settings. And yeah, I suppose it's all a bit gringo and suburban, but considering that's the element I grew up in, I can't get too worked up about it.
The amount of darkness and genuine occult stuff was pretty fascinating. I've never had to read a book with the lights on before. This was worth it.
With that skepticism in hand, I bought this as an e-book based solely off an Aaron Bady reference to "a kid in 19th century Ohio who has visions of 9/11" which is about as perfect an elevator pitch as I thought you could have. But there are better ones in the book: a high schooler with a dead dad who discovers that he is the antichrist, a child inhabited by the spirits of those killed on 9/11, and that sort of thing. There is an awful lot of "the same" in the books: lots of sick children, lots of 9/11, but those are pretty ripe areas for exploration so it's hard to get too surprised or upset by that.
And they're all pretty incredible stories. In every story, the first few paragraphs are things of wonder. I usually read them and sighed, angry that I can't write like that. And then I would read them again and again, before I even got to the story.
But the stories are fantastic. Lots of kids in there that I could really empathize with, lots of adults that I hoped I'd never become. They are all quite spellbinding in their use of the surreal and dark in otherwise "normal" settings. And yeah, I suppose it's all a bit gringo and suburban, but considering that's the element I grew up in, I can't get too worked up about it.
The amount of darkness and genuine occult stuff was pretty fascinating. I've never had to read a book with the lights on before. This was worth it.
andy5185's review against another edition
4.0
Really well written, but heartbreaking. Not for those with weak stomachs!! Stab was my favorite.
clarkness's review against another edition
4.0
A few of these stories are absolutely devastating. "The Sum of Our Parts" in particular really struck a chord in me. I give Chris Adrian credit for having the gall to portray completely destroyed people and still find their humanity. Terrible things have already happened to them, but they are still given the opportunity to make good choices, making it all the more painful when they still fail. It's compelling to me that he casts children into nearly all of the villainous roles in his stories. He casts these young, broken spirits as dark influences to the world around them and you get the sense that the universe he has created contains no positive adult role models, just visions of what these nearly defeated children will become in the future, removed and heartless.
I've heard some commentary about Adrian's longer fiction being his best work, but I actually think he burns brighter in his short fiction. He has a wonderful ability to create stories that serve as much broader metaphors for real world events (especially 9/11 in this collection, though his story "The Stepfather" (not included here) is a great satire of the Bush presidency). He's also a phenomenal satirist. I think the humor in many of these pieces is missed by many because they're fairly dark, but there is a lot to smirk at in here. I loved the children stricken with visions of 9/11 in "The Vision of Peter Damien". They provide a knowing counterpoint to the inept doctor and parents that can't understand what is happening.
I've heard some commentary about Adrian's longer fiction being his best work, but I actually think he burns brighter in his short fiction. He has a wonderful ability to create stories that serve as much broader metaphors for real world events (especially 9/11 in this collection, though his story "The Stepfather" (not included here) is a great satire of the Bush presidency). He's also a phenomenal satirist. I think the humor in many of these pieces is missed by many because they're fairly dark, but there is a lot to smirk at in here. I loved the children stricken with visions of 9/11 in "The Vision of Peter Damien". They provide a knowing counterpoint to the inept doctor and parents that can't understand what is happening.
chrisralonso's review against another edition
4.0
What a strange collection of story, and I enjoyed it so much. The stories are unsettling and imagistic, and if this is what Adrian can do in a compressed space, I look forward to how his language can explode in longer form.
nonersays's review against another edition
2.0
Dark stories all of them. Too many of them were 9/11 related though. That bothers me.
annacharlottes's review against another edition
4.0
Half-dream, half-nightmare stories full of biblical references and murderous children. Chris Adrian is a pediatrician, theologian, and weirdo. Highly recommended.