Reviews

Half an Inch of Water by Percival Everett

corpoto's review

adventurous funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Fun collection of modern western stories. Some clicked with me more than others but all were an enjoyable read. 

janegonz's review

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

macandal's review

emotional funny mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

gareth_beniston's review against another edition

mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Beautiful and beguiling.

peoplearescary's review

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

I really liked this collection! My favourite stories were the ones that had some sort of magical element which works for the sort of transient feeling I prefer in short stories
Favourite is Stonefly (big fan of uncannily big trout)

unorthodoxras's review

adventurous emotional inspiring medium-paced

4.5

timbo001's review

challenging dark funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

aarikdanielsen's review

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

4.5

jeichael's review

emotional funny mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

elfington's review

4.0

The stories in this collection do the thing that I hate about short stories - they end midstream, with an elliptical flourish as if to say... think about it. And yet I'm giving it four stars because I could have read forty more.

As a reader I slip into these laconic Western small towns immediately, peopled mainly by laconic men. Men who love horses, drive trucks, and are Black in a place where they will always stand out, never quite fit in.

One story has the main character objecting to being referred to with the Lakota slang for White, only to be told, "well you sure aren't Indian." And I believe that is the only reference to race in that particular story. The touch is light, and all the more effective for it.

These stories make me want to dive head first into another of his novels. Perhaps one with an ending.