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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
I'm more familiar with some of these stories from his spoken word album, "Listening To Richard Brautigan." Now I read all of his work in that same slow, reverent manner. This is careful writing. The title story is one of my favorites of all time, bar none. I cry every time I read or hear it.
When in Washington ... you read Richard Brautigan?
I guess so. It certainly seemed to be when I stepped into my umpteenth bookstore in the state to find yet more copies of the late author's books on the shelves.
Other than in the Pacific Northwest, I don't think I've ever seen a Brautigan book on the shelf in any bookshop ever.
At least, none that come to mind.
But the bookshops of the PNW feature him somewhat prominently.
All of which caused me to ask who Richard Brautigan even is.
Seriously. Have you ever heard of him?
I hadn't.
But now, having stepped into several bookshops in the PNW, I have.
I like to read local, so I got this collection of short stories.
They're alright. I'm giving the collection three stars, but really they're two-star stories with four-star titles.
As a result, it gets three stars. You've gotta respect a good title.
Or 62 of them, in this case.
Yes, 62 stories. That's a lot! But it doesn't add up to a lot of pages really, because the majority of these stories are just two or three pages in length. One is even a single sentence.
While writing this review, I flipped through the collection to try and find the stories I liked.
There weren't many of them, just a handful (yes, out of 62). Most of them I've already forgotten.
But the problem is that these titles often provide no indication of what the stories are about.
That's why I like them.
The titles I mean. It's almost as though Brautigan chose a title he liked and then wrote the story around it.
Brautigan writes in a very uncomplicated, folksy way.
He writes exactly how his author's photo looks.
Funny words that fill clever sentences that make up unremarkable stories.
Maybe the novels are better.
I guess so. It certainly seemed to be when I stepped into my umpteenth bookstore in the state to find yet more copies of the late author's books on the shelves.
Other than in the Pacific Northwest, I don't think I've ever seen a Brautigan book on the shelf in any bookshop ever.
At least, none that come to mind.
But the bookshops of the PNW feature him somewhat prominently.
All of which caused me to ask who Richard Brautigan even is.
Seriously. Have you ever heard of him?
I hadn't.
But now, having stepped into several bookshops in the PNW, I have.
I like to read local, so I got this collection of short stories.
They're alright. I'm giving the collection three stars, but really they're two-star stories with four-star titles.
As a result, it gets three stars. You've gotta respect a good title.
Or 62 of them, in this case.
Yes, 62 stories. That's a lot! But it doesn't add up to a lot of pages really, because the majority of these stories are just two or three pages in length. One is even a single sentence.
While writing this review, I flipped through the collection to try and find the stories I liked.
There weren't many of them, just a handful (yes, out of 62). Most of them I've already forgotten.
But the problem is that these titles often provide no indication of what the stories are about.
That's why I like them.
The titles I mean. It's almost as though Brautigan chose a title he liked and then wrote the story around it.
Brautigan writes in a very uncomplicated, folksy way.
He writes exactly how his author's photo looks.
Funny words that fill clever sentences that make up unremarkable stories.
Maybe the novels are better.
It's no In Watermelon Sugar, but I really liked it.
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Beautiful collection of short stories. Thanks O.
Now we will fly new banners from the castle, and they will be of your own choosing.
Aww...this is an endearing collection. Made me happy and warm and enthusiastic, made me smile like listening to Nashville Skyline or the Fucking Champs or jumping into a covert soulja boy in my cloistered file room and want to snuggle up against the Pacific Northwest and gave me dreams of being proposed to by a beautiful musician with six fingers on each hand and healed my heart. I will likely reread this again sometime.
Aww...this is an endearing collection. Made me happy and warm and enthusiastic, made me smile like listening to Nashville Skyline or the Fucking Champs or jumping into a covert soulja boy in my cloistered file room and want to snuggle up against the Pacific Northwest and gave me dreams of being proposed to by a beautiful musician with six fingers on each hand and healed my heart. I will likely reread this again sometime.
2/4
bookmarked:
AN UNLIMITED SUPPLY OF 35 MILLIMETER FILM
PALE MARBLE MOVIE
PARTNERS
I WAS TRYING TO DESCRIBE YOU TO SOMEONE
WOMEN WHEN THEY PUT THEIR CLOTHES ON IN THE MORNING
SEPTEMBER CALIFORNIA
THE SCARLATTI TILT
LINT
THE WORLD WAR 1 LOS ANGELES AEROPLANE
REVENGE OF THE LAWN
A NEED FOR GARDENS
THE ARMOURED CAR
COFFEE
and HALLOWE'EN IN DENVER
bookmarked:
AN UNLIMITED SUPPLY OF 35 MILLIMETER FILM
PALE MARBLE MOVIE
PARTNERS
I WAS TRYING TO DESCRIBE YOU TO SOMEONE
WOMEN WHEN THEY PUT THEIR CLOTHES ON IN THE MORNING
SEPTEMBER CALIFORNIA
THE SCARLATTI TILT
LINT
THE WORLD WAR 1 LOS ANGELES AEROPLANE
REVENGE OF THE LAWN
A NEED FOR GARDENS
THE ARMOURED CAR
COFFEE
and HALLOWE'EN IN DENVER
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
reflective
slow-paced
Revenge of the Lawn is a collection of very short stories (many qualify as flash fiction) written by the poet and writer Richard Brautigan. He's considered to bridge the gap between the California beats and hippies. The stories here can be autobiographical, surreal, and realistic--sometimes all three in one compact story. He dives into his childhood and shows us how poverty restricts and limits a young life. We also meet several bear-hunting, heavy drinking relatives and neighbors. His work is suffused by a gentle spirit stirred by beauty but unable to escape a bleak fatality. Throughout the stories he scatters images and metaphors that I think rise to the level of high art. So glad that his work is available on Kindle.
I had a hard time getting through this collection of short stories. A few, however, did resonate.