Reviews

Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks

ttodd86's review

3.0

My three stars are probably based on the fact Tom Hanks seems like a very likable person and is one of my favorite actors and someone whose work I have enjoyed going back to "Bosom Buddies." The stories here are not bad, necessarily, so a two-star review seems a bit unfair. However, they are also not going to stick with the reader or lead to the pondering of greater life truths. Generally safe stories and a quick read.

diddy_shovel's review

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

2.0

I think the first thing to say about this book is that any reading of it will be framed with Tom Hanks in mind. That can create an expectation (it did for me) but is also heavily reflected in the writing style. With every story, Hanks seems to be attempting to draw a picture of the Golden Years of America in every story in this book (even a story set in the future involves time-travel to 1939). As a result, the characters feel quite similar and very static, and the stories blend in places which isn't such a great thing. It's a common feature of short stories (which I struggle with sometimes), but a narrative never really develops which makes it hard to connect with characters or really get immersed in the story. 

The second thing is about typewriters. Going into this book, I thought a lot of Annnie Proulx's 'Accordian Crimes', where the book slowly transitions from accordians being an integral part of the novel to just a throwaway mention in the final chapter. 'Uncommon Type' felt like the final chapter. With the exception of 'These Are the Meditations of My Heart' (the story which I connected with far beyond any of the others), typewriters were "there" with no substance. In some cases a character might type something, but often they were just a brief mention. It left me a bit confused about the purpose of the book: why not just drop the pretense that typewriters are a common thread within the stories? 

It seems like Hanks is trying to draw out something that isn't really there; when taken at face value, many of the stories are interesting, but the typewriter theme makes things confused and at times annoying. This was a lighthearded and overall entertaining book, but disappointingly missed the human connection that Hanks embodies so well in the roles he plays.

jansbookcorner's review against another edition

4.0

Tom Hanks is a great storyteller. Definitely listen instead of read this one. It was great to hear his stories told by him.

chelseycintronn's review

adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

2.5

michellenet's review against another edition

slow-paced

2.0

52Books2024 Reading Challenge: Lowercase letters on the spine 

I won a copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaway

protoman21's review

4.0

3.5 stars. The writing was pretty good, but the stories mostly lacked depth and many ended with seemingly no rhyme or reason.

debbiecollectsbooks's review

4.0

Short stories, easy to read. Picked this book up after seeing Tom Hanks on a news program talking about his interest in typewriters. Good stories and short enough to finish when out and about.

kristalall's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

rmb86's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

erintowner's review

3.0

Nothing special or unexpected here but enjoyable.