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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
A nice, light-hearted palate cleanser.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a fun, quick listen featured in my October Wrap Up: https://youtu.be/2ETsjDTjv1s
A very quick read, and is a nice enough story. I found the main character frustrating however and didn't focus on it.
A cute and fun palate cleanser between long novels. Similar to Jess Walter's Beautiful Ruins but I actually enjoyed this one more, it was punchier, brighter, and more engaging, perhaps because of its brevity. The main character gets a scholarship to Rome but it turns out not to be as dreamed. When he stumbles onto a movie set though, things get fun and funny with an American B-list actor and a glamorous Italian actress who happened to make a B-movie in America much to her chagrin. It is not as predictable as it may sound.
I received an ARC of The Angel of Rome from the publisher, and I couldn’t have been more surprised and pleased. A collection of short stories that are challenging and heartfelt, I enjoyed every selection. This is a solid 4.5 stars.
emotional
funny
reflective
One of the things I admire about Walter as a writer is that he takes on different genres, characters, and styles in his work. The same is true of this collection. My favorite stories were "Mr. Voice" a lovely story about a stepparent, "Fran's Friend Has Cancer" which has a delightful twist, "Magnificent Desolation" with a great middle school science teacher protagonist, and "Before You Blow" had a great payoff. "Angel of Rome" was also entertaining and funny, but the overly quirky characters and absurd plot points kept it from being a standout for me. This was a great collection where almost all of the individual stories would rate 3 or mostly 4 stars (no really weak ones), but nothing that quite rose to a 5 star story for me--a lot of stories I really enjoyed in the moment, but not any that will really stick with me like the best short stories do.
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced