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A review by thebibliotaph
The Unbelievable Death of Joseph Goldberg and Other Stories by Oliver Franks
4.0
The Unbelievable Death of Joseph
The first story is about an old man who dies alone on a pier and gets turned into a folk of starlings. The story is about reminiscing about a life with regrets and getting revenge in a small and unconventional way. The author captures what its like to be a flock of bird is a beautiful and surprising way.
Although there is some funny imagery, the story has a melancholic tone. And the colloquial use of language might be accurate, but it did feel like it clashed with the magical feel.
The Chair
The second story is about a military experiment that has foreseen and unforeseened consequences.
This was a well-rounded story, although the ending felt fast for someone who is used to reading longer pieces. The thing that makes a short story good is how much it makes you think afterwards. And this one certainly made me think. There are a lot of questions left open and I would have loved to know more.
The Dark Matter of Dreams
Story number three is a bit metaphysical for my taste. A dream journey. I’m not fond of extreme surrealism stories, so I can’t comment much other than to say that the narrator issues with women are a bit weird.
Without the Simple Science
The fourth story is the shortest, but also the best in my opinion. A deep and punchy tale about friends meeting for one last time. It manages so much layers, history and concepts in very few words. Defiantly my favourite of the four.
Overall a well written and intriguing collection and I will keep an eye out for more of this author’s work.
The first story is about an old man who dies alone on a pier and gets turned into a folk of starlings. The story is about reminiscing about a life with regrets and getting revenge in a small and unconventional way. The author captures what its like to be a flock of bird is a beautiful and surprising way.
Although there is some funny imagery, the story has a melancholic tone. And the colloquial use of language might be accurate, but it did feel like it clashed with the magical feel.
The Chair
The second story is about a military experiment that has foreseen and unforeseened consequences.
This was a well-rounded story, although the ending felt fast for someone who is used to reading longer pieces. The thing that makes a short story good is how much it makes you think afterwards. And this one certainly made me think. There are a lot of questions left open and I would have loved to know more.
The Dark Matter of Dreams
Story number three is a bit metaphysical for my taste. A dream journey. I’m not fond of extreme surrealism stories, so I can’t comment much other than to say that the narrator issues with women are a bit weird.
Without the Simple Science
The fourth story is the shortest, but also the best in my opinion. A deep and punchy tale about friends meeting for one last time. It manages so much layers, history and concepts in very few words. Defiantly my favourite of the four.
Overall a well written and intriguing collection and I will keep an eye out for more of this author’s work.