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174th out of 238 books
—
213 voters
Three Ways of the Saw
by
Matt Mullins
Three Ways of the Saw offers a startling new voice in traditional storytelling that carves out a territory all its own. The vibrant prose of this debut collection—ranging in both style and length from experimental and realistic to flash and longer form fiction—searingly probes and dissects the idea of connection and alienation with one’s self, the world and others.
Always g...more
Always g...more
Paperback, 216 pages
Published
February 29th 2012
by Atticus Books
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From publisher
Read 3/13/12 - 3/24/12
3 Stars - Recommended to fans of short stories
216 pages
Publisher: Atticus Books
Quite a few years ago, you would have found me turning my head at short story collections. There was something about the start/stop/start rhythm of the story lines that irked me... but when pressed for a reason why, it's always been hard for me to put a finger on it... a lack of connection maybe, some missing ingredient that seemed to keep me at arms length. No sooner would I get us...more
Read 3/13/12 - 3/24/12
3 Stars - Recommended to fans of short stories
216 pages
Publisher: Atticus Books
Quite a few years ago, you would have found me turning my head at short story collections. There was something about the start/stop/start rhythm of the story lines that irked me... but when pressed for a reason why, it's always been hard for me to put a finger on it... a lack of connection maybe, some missing ingredient that seemed to keep me at arms length. No sooner would I get us...more
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This is an excellent book. Thoughtful and well crafted. If you like short stories with an edge to them, this one's for you. After I finished reading it, I wanted to see what others thought, so I looked up some reviews online. Here's what other reviewers had to say.
from Foreward Reviews:
Mullins experiments—and succeeds—with style, length, and points-of-view throughout. He's sprinkled flash fiction, brief sketches, and vignettes between traditional short stories, often in such a way that, from one...more
from Foreward Reviews:
Mullins experiments—and succeeds—with style, length, and points-of-view throughout. He's sprinkled flash fiction, brief sketches, and vignettes between traditional short stories, often in such a way that, from one...more
I was delighted to be sent an advance readers copy of this book of short stories. Some are very short indeed too! Most of the stories revolve around young men, whose attitudes and characters wouldn't necessarily normally appeal to me. But it's a sign of the quality of both the writing and storytelling that I was drawn right into every story. The voices in the stories are very convincing, I was particularly impressed with the way a male writer could inhabit the world of a girl on the cusp of woma...more
My rating is actually 3.5 out of 5 stars.
This is a collection of twenty-five short stories and flash fiction, organized into three parts.
The stories were very gritty, and examined the darker sides of human nature. Alienation and pain are covered often, and the prose slowly drags the reader along. There were very few likable characters, but every character was rather interesting.
With the exception of three stories, the rest are all about a [probably white] heterosexual male narrator or protagoni...more
This is a collection of twenty-five short stories and flash fiction, organized into three parts.
The stories were very gritty, and examined the darker sides of human nature. Alienation and pain are covered often, and the prose slowly drags the reader along. There were very few likable characters, but every character was rather interesting.
With the exception of three stories, the rest are all about a [probably white] heterosexual male narrator or protagoni...more
'He who touches this book touches the ghost of a man still living.'
Matt Mullins carries many titles - writer, poet, musician, experimental filmmaker and educator. He is capable of writing some of the grittiest work to hit the reading public is a long time. THREE WAYS OF A SAW is a collection of short stories - some a page or two in length some much longer, but each carrying an ax-like blow that knocks your breath out. From his own words these seem to be memoir like episodes of his life and if so...more
Matt Mullins carries many titles - writer, poet, musician, experimental filmmaker and educator. He is capable of writing some of the grittiest work to hit the reading public is a long time. THREE WAYS OF A SAW is a collection of short stories - some a page or two in length some much longer, but each carrying an ax-like blow that knocks your breath out. From his own words these seem to be memoir like episodes of his life and if so...more
Mullins challenges the idea that experimental literature is the only place where something new is created in modern fiction. Within clearly told tales, Mullins shows an amazing variety of stories. Some are more traditional, and some are a bit more strange. Regardless, all are strongly written and show moments of surprisingly delicate emotion. This is an impressive collection to say the least.
This is a wonderful collection of stories. Gritty, real, insightful and poignant. Amazing that an author can compel so much emotion with such few words. Growing up in northwestern Ohio, this brought back many memories. I thank Matt for the opportunity to experience these vignettes.
The male characters in Three Ways of the Saw struggle with how they should be living their lives as men. They have no role models, or they have too many different role models, or maybe they even have the wrong role models and they know it, and they suddenly realize that they don’t know what to do anymore; sometimes they are unable to act on impulse and make quick decisions, and sometimes they act on impulse and then realize that their decisions are all wrong. Mullins proves that manhood is more...more
Mullins's writing improves noticeably, i.m.o., over the course of the collection, and the last story, which shares its title with the book, is pretty good (though it feels a little like a final project for a creative writing class: solid, but still a student's).
As it is, I can only take so many stories that are wrenching and bleak in the same way, and only so many drunken/drugged up protagonists who can't grow up.
As it is, I can only take so many stories that are wrenching and bleak in the same way, and only so many drunken/drugged up protagonists who can't grow up.
Mullins writes of men and their struggles to be whole, to grow and find their way, which is maybe based on the mere fact that they are men to begin with.
More - http://bentanzer.blogspot.com/2012/04...
More - http://bentanzer.blogspot.com/2012/04...
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