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chelsea2020's review against another edition
5.0
It feels like it has been a lifetime since I have read a book of short stories. The first and last time I did was the "Scary States of America" when I was young. I completely forgot what I had been missing! This was a fantastic set of unique reads!
I felt like I could truly take my time with this book; completely in control of whether or not I wished to continue on to the next mystery that the book had to offer, or catch some much needed sleep because those stories would not be progressing without me.
Very pleased with what I found inside these pages and so glad that my friend introduced me to this amazing little set of short stories.
I felt like I could truly take my time with this book; completely in control of whether or not I wished to continue on to the next mystery that the book had to offer, or catch some much needed sleep because those stories would not be progressing without me.
Very pleased with what I found inside these pages and so glad that my friend introduced me to this amazing little set of short stories.
protoman21's review against another edition
4.0
A very strong collection of short stories by the wonderfully talented B.J. Novak! I don't read short stories that often, but this is exactly the kind that I enjoy. They are all relatively short and they each have something unique and creative about them that makes them stand out. Some have twist endings, which I always love especially if I don't see it coming, while others are so off the wall that the whole thing is a twist. I found the quality dropped off a bit as the collection went on, but it wasn't too drastic that I would recommend stopping before the end.
One standout for me was "The Man Who Invented the Calendar" just for it's creativity. Obviously told in a modern voice, the story explains the quirks in our modern calendar in a way that I would have never come up with in a million years.
Another entertaining story was "No One Goes to Heaven to See Dan Fogelberg." We have all spent time imagining what Heaven is like, but I'd never thought about it in quite these terms. A well told story that makes you think and has some laughs as well.
I was hooked from the very first story "The Rematch." In it, the hare feels regret for botching his first race with the tortoise and learns a valuable lesson about patience and dedication. There is a ton of great irony here and the story moves along with perfect timing and nice funny moments.
Worth a read even if you aren't a fan of his work on TV, though I should add as a disclaimer that I am a fan of his from The Office and he is approximately my age and seems to share a similar sense of humor.
One standout for me was "The Man Who Invented the Calendar" just for it's creativity. Obviously told in a modern voice, the story explains the quirks in our modern calendar in a way that I would have never come up with in a million years.
Another entertaining story was "No One Goes to Heaven to See Dan Fogelberg." We have all spent time imagining what Heaven is like, but I'd never thought about it in quite these terms. A well told story that makes you think and has some laughs as well.
I was hooked from the very first story "The Rematch." In it, the hare feels regret for botching his first race with the tortoise and learns a valuable lesson about patience and dedication. There is a ton of great irony here and the story moves along with perfect timing and nice funny moments.
Worth a read even if you aren't a fan of his work on TV, though I should add as a disclaimer that I am a fan of his from The Office and he is approximately my age and seems to share a similar sense of humor.
togglesmcbobbins's review against another edition
4.0
Such a fun and easy read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from cover to cover!
wintrovia's review against another edition
4.0
An enjoyable and quirky collection of stories. They mostly start off with a clever idea at the centre and some are developed into decent short stories and others feel a bit undercooked, like they could have gone somewhere but have been abandoned more than finished. Having said that, on the whole, I had fun reading these stories and thought there were some original and clever ideas, even if some of them felt a bit underdone.
metalbeheaded99's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
jessicaletaw's review against another edition
5.0
Easily one of my favorite books by a contemporary writer. The “of course it was” unconventionality of Lesley Nneka Arimah, the everyday poetry of Stephen King, the lightness of Ursula K. LeGuin, the lovingly unsparing honesty of Rudy Francisco. Thanks for this treat, B.J. See you next time.
madmooney's review against another edition
5.0
This is not going to be a good review: not because I feel like half-assing it, but because I don't have much reference to base and compare my thoughts. I tend to avoid short stories (outside of SciFi), partially because I enjoy longer developed stories, and partially because there is always the chance for a lemon in the bunch (which would leave a bad taste in the mouth).
As I paged through the table of contents, all of my apprehensions evaporated. Apparently, while there are some full length short stories, there were a number of 1/2 pagers. After getting a taste of about 12 of these, I decided to try something a bit longer (Kelloggs'), which I feel to be among my favourite top 10 of all time Short stories (Once Again, SEE ABOVE).
If you find yourself in a bookshop, page through the stories that last a few pages- you will definetly be convinced.
As I paged through the table of contents, all of my apprehensions evaporated. Apparently, while there are some full length short stories, there were a number of 1/2 pagers. After getting a taste of about 12 of these, I decided to try something a bit longer (Kelloggs'), which I feel to be among my favourite top 10 of all time Short stories (Once Again, SEE ABOVE).
If you find yourself in a bookshop, page through the stories that last a few pages- you will definetly be convinced.
cewhite3's review against another edition
3.0
Although some of the stories were quite humorous, overall this book did not live up to the expectations I had for such a witty writer from the t.v. show The Office.
casspro's review against another edition
4.0
I dog eared a few of the stories, particularly "Sophia". Others make you question if they count as a story at all. There's no real development from one story to the next, but each one opens and closes well.