This second collection of short stories by a bright star in Southern fiction showcases a town so tiny it missed the map, the gleefully off-the-wall...
read full description
reviews
Jan 17, 2009
bookczuk
rated it: 
I heard this guy on the radio and laughed extremely hard when he read his stories. Bought the book, and am very reluctant to let it go entirely. It's been a while since I read it, and I am sure that I'll re-read it again, at some point, just to get a good cleansing chuckle (czukle?) out of the foibles of the South.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
This second collection of short stories by a bright star in Southern fiction showcases a town so tiny it missed the map, the gleefully off-the-wall More...
FROM THE PUBLISHER
This second collection of short stories by a bright star in Southern fiction showcases a town so tiny it missed the map, the gleefully off-the-wall More...
Jul 03, 2010
Kathy (Bermudaonion)
rated it:
The Half-Mammals of Dixie by George Singleton is a collection of short stories centered around the fictitious town of Forty-Five, South Carolina. These are tales of the South, but not the stereotypical South (genteel and racist) so many people love to read about – these stories are more of the “good ol’ boy” South variety. I generally stay away from short story collections, because I usually don’t think there’s enough character development in them, but after reading this collection, I’ve dec
More...
Jan 06, 2009
Mindy
rated it:
This book is Catherine's, but it's been at my house for years now. I don't know if she gave it to me or just loaned it to me or just left it at my house. Catherine, I have your book... :)
Update: Catherine says she gave me this book for my birthday when we were roommates, but I totally don't remember that. Gawd, I'm going senile.
Final update: I'm really sorry I waited this long to read this short story collection. The stories were occasionally appalling and almost always h More...
Update: Catherine says she gave me this book for my birthday when we were roommates, but I totally don't remember that. Gawd, I'm going senile.
Final update: I'm really sorry I waited this long to read this short story collection. The stories were occasionally appalling and almost always h More...
Jan 27, 2009
Erin
rated it: 
This is one of the best short story collections I've read in a long time - I've actually read it a total of 4 times - and I highly recommend it! Singleton is unique among writers that he doesn't have a distinct "George Singleton" voice; his stories are written in the voice of his characters, so each story in this collection is disctinct from the rest. His characters are vibrant and unique, both funny and heartbreaking at the same time - they leap off the page, so real and familiar th
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 05, 2009
Siri
rated it: 
Starts off strong, and it's fun to see the characters come back from different perspectives from one short to the next. Did not enjoy the little excursion to Ironyville in the middle, although that was perhaps the most memorable story.
Dec 17, 2009
Bones
rated it:
Singleton's collection of short stories centers around the fictional small Southern town of Forty-Five, South Carolina, which he populates with a medley of quirky characters. As if the book, like the town, is too cramped to hold everyone comfortably, characters are often popping in and out of different stories. Makes for a fun read and ties everything together nicely.
Singleton's tone is often a bit sarcastic in his describing the lives of characters who spend their days in flea m More...
Singleton's tone is often a bit sarcastic in his describing the lives of characters who spend their days in flea m More...
May 08, 2011
Jacob
rated it:
Slightly linked collection of stories about the people of Forty-Five, a tiny, oft-ignored South Carolina town. As stories about quirky towns go, it's a funnier collection than Donald Ray Pollock's Knockemstiff, but not nearly as strong. A few good samples ("Duke Power" stood out the most), but some uneven stuff. Maybe I'm just suffering from short story fatigue; the collection wasn't bad, but it didn't really hold my attention. Will have to give him a second try eventually.
More...
Jan 26, 2010
Tony
rated it:
a friend gave me this book some time last year and had i suspected how wonderful these stories were i never would have waited so long to read it. all the stories feature characters who live in, are passing through, or have escaped from the small town of Forty Five, South Carolina, and together they create an oddball world that is charming and creepy, hilarious and heartbreaking, and altogether Southern. Singleton's voice is original and razor-sharp.
Nov 18, 2007
Mike
rated it:
Singleton is a great short story writer. His style is witty and as subtle as it is blunt, which is a tough act to pull off. All the stories in this collection have a particularly Southern backdrop but not in a way that is offputing for non-southerners. It's also a good pick-up-put-down collection for filling the gaps between reading larger novels.
Dec 17, 2009
Brook
rated it: 
I don't read much contemporary fiction. This book came highly recommended. This is why I don't read much contemporary fiction. Maybe it's not fair to compare this southern fiction with O'Connor or Faulkner, but I do and I expect more..what? I live in the South. Perhaps the South has lost its distinction, but I don't recognize this place. Dumb title. This is humor?
Oct 07, 2008
Sirdarksol
rated it:
Despite the rating I gave the book, I strongly suggest reading it. It's a collection of loosely-strung-together short stories, and while some of them aren't all that great, some are inconceivably funny.
Even better, while entertaining, most (if not all) of the stories have deep-reaching societal messages, as well.
Even better, while entertaining, most (if not all) of the stories have deep-reaching societal messages, as well.
Feb 05, 2008
Laura
rated it:
I only read a couple of shorts copied from this book but the point is that this guy is sharp. I met him and he puts it all out there and you'll find the same quality to his stories
Feb 08, 2012
Jamie
rated it:
Not a bad book, but if you're really wanting a good collection of stories from the South, read Tim Gautreaux's Welding with Children.
Apr 09, 2008
Tanyadee
rated it:
I believe that this is the best short story collection written by Singleton.
Three words: this itches y'all
Three words: this itches y'all
Feb 23, 2008
Kvinroot
rated it:
George Singleton is one of the funniest writers of all time. This book of short stories is hilarious!
Feb 11, 2012
Jan 24, 2012
Jan 16, 2012
Dec 08, 2011
Dec 06, 2011
