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greybeard49's review against another edition
5.0
I am a fan of well written short stories (very difficult to pull off well) and therefore I enjoyed this book - a really well written collection. Many are set in unusual places and describe how human relationships evolve, are strengthened, weakened, crumble and are remade. Guterson writes great prose but always with wit and great insight. He is often compared to Hemingway but with more sensibility.
gohawks's review against another edition
3.0
Gutterson puts out a very brief volume of short stories, some of which are moving and noteworthy and some of which are quickly fortgottten. He continues his theme of humans experiencing and surviving nature. His first story of the collection is perhaps his strongest about two divorcees meeting for a fourth date at a wilderness lodge. The purpose seems to be sex, but they get to know each other in ways they did not expect. Gutterson's strength is usually the way he is able to observe nature and document it clearly in picturesque yet unfettered language. But "Paradise", his first story, displays an uncommon ability to see to the heart of his characters and lay bare their inner lives without overt fanfare. The rest of the lot is enjoyable enough without being anything special.
kjones31's review against another edition
4.0
Great character development, plus an extra burst of fun because most have a Seattle connection. Recommended.
gemmadee's review against another edition
4.0
It was a painful book to read. Let me be clear – the reading was easy. I finished the book in one evening. It was the stories themselves that were painful. In Problems with People, author David Guterson explores social awkwardness.
Guterson so deftly portrays the inner dialogues that we all (Oh God I hope it’s not just me) try so hard to hide behind faces of mature competence that reading these stories feels a little like pulling your fingernails out to see the pink skin underneath them.
It’s not all psychological torture, though. Guterson is a Pacific Northwest native and many of the stories are set locally. His depictions of place are as accurate and specific as his characterization, and it’s a lot of fun to mentally place events. I wouldn’t be surprised if his Berlin is as precise as his Seattle, too.
Guterson so deftly portrays the inner dialogues that we all (Oh God I hope it’s not just me) try so hard to hide behind faces of mature competence that reading these stories feels a little like pulling your fingernails out to see the pink skin underneath them.
It’s not all psychological torture, though. Guterson is a Pacific Northwest native and many of the stories are set locally. His depictions of place are as accurate and specific as his characterization, and it’s a lot of fun to mentally place events. I wouldn’t be surprised if his Berlin is as precise as his Seattle, too.
kay_ampersand's review against another edition
1.0
What a sharp departure from Snow Falling on Cedars.
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