These ten short stories explore loss and sacrifice in American suburbia. In idyllic suburbs across the country, from Philadelphia to San Francisco,...
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Dec 05, 2011
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Jul 07, 2010
Jen
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Short story collections are difficult to rate because as a package, the book has to work as well, if not better, than a novel. At the same time, each story is judged on its own merit. The Theory of Light and Matter works as a package, thematically, and eight of the ten stories blew me away. I was particularly drawn into Azul, River Dog and Coyotes because these stories are so unique, unpredictable and subtlely profound. Moreover, it was in these three stories that I found the narrator to be
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Oct 23, 2011
Larry
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It's ironic—some of the best books I've read have titles that are scientific or mathematic in nature, although most of the time they have nothing to do with either subject. Add The Theory of Light and Matter to the list of best books I've read, as well as those with ironic titles. What a fantastic short story collection this was!! Andrew Porter is an absolutely phenomenal writer.
I've been reading a lot of short story collections lately, and while it appears I've gotten lucky in finding some gre More...
I've been reading a lot of short story collections lately, and while it appears I've gotten lucky in finding some gre More...
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Jun 07, 2010
Lillian
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Iowa does it again! This is a stunning collection of short stories all about contemporary suburban America. Each one pulls you in instantly and carries you along as if you were listening to symphonic music. They all reveal some deep element of the human soul. Porter's writing is fresh, cogent and authentic. I tend to resist short story collections but this one is truly exceptional.
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Apr 14, 2010
Alanna
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This slim first collection by Andrew Porter was stunning. I only read short story collections occasionally, but this one came highly recommended by a friend who also happens to write short stories. This is one of those books I'll probably reread in like a year. Amazing.
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Dec 12, 2008
Heather
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The Theory of Light and Matter is a collection of short stories by Andrew Porter, who received Flannery O’Connor Prize for Short Fiction.
Here, Mr Porter talks about "Departure," one of the stories in the book.
Almost all of my stories begin with an image, or a memory from my past, that has stayed with me over the years. In the case of “Departure,” the image was that of a small arcade inside a strip mall that my friends and I used to frequent in the late afternoo More...
Here, Mr Porter talks about "Departure," one of the stories in the book.
Almost all of my stories begin with an image, or a memory from my past, that has stayed with me over the years. In the case of “Departure,” the image was that of a small arcade inside a strip mall that my friends and I used to frequent in the late afternoo More...
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Dec 19, 2010
Jason
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I discovered Andrew Porter because one of my former students now attends Trinity University in Texas, where he teaches creative writing. I checked out Trinity's English department website and discovered Porter had published a book of short stories, so I bought a copy on Amazon.
I enjoyed these stories. They were all narrated in first person, mainly by men in their 20s and 30s, sometimes looking back on an important time from their childhood or adolescence. The titular short story is t More...
I enjoyed these stories. They were all narrated in first person, mainly by men in their 20s and 30s, sometimes looking back on an important time from their childhood or adolescence. The titular short story is t More...
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Jan 25, 2009
Jodi
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I read Andrew Porter’s Flannery O’Connor award-winning collection The Theory of Light & Matter over a month ago and I thought I didn’t like it. I was wrong. Today, I fished the book out from the pile that surrounds my bed because I was determined to write about it.
As I flipped through the pages reading paragraphs from various stories I found myself thinking, “oh I really liked this one,” “this one is my favorite.” It was right about then I realized that I really only disliked one story More...
As I flipped through the pages reading paragraphs from various stories I found myself thinking, “oh I really liked this one,” “this one is my favorite.” It was right about then I realized that I really only disliked one story More...
Nov 11, 2011
Peter
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This was a very enjoyable collection of short stories. I loved each and every one. Porter is a wonderfully descriptive writer with a knack for bringing subtle emotion into his stories. He plunges you right into the middle of the character’s lives. The writing is straightforward but not simple. He makes me think of someone like William Trevor who doesn’t play around with trickery or stylistic gimmicks. His talent is obvious from the first page but he doesn’t throw it in your face or make it about
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Sep 09, 2011
Stephanie
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It's not hard to see why this won the Flannery O'Connor award; the wise children, the misplaced and unconsummated romances, the secret pathways leaving and leading toward family. The lasting images and representative elements are the hole from the first story, the presence of film/filmic quality to the presentation, platonic relationships, lesbian relationships and distant fathers. It's regional like O'Connor, but also cool like Franco's collection (Palo Alto). Porter's youths are lackluster, wi
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Jan 06, 2010
Janet
rated it:
Best short stories I've read in a very long time. I'm usually bored with most collections after reading one or two, but not so with this Flannery O'Connor Award Winner. I loved each and every story and didn't want them to end. Each unique narrator possessed a similar nagging thread--a drive to make sense of something that happened in their past, while at the same time navigating their present. Their current lives intertwine with former and create rich landscapes that seem both familiar and forei
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Nov 26, 2011
s.penkevich
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This collection is disappointing at best. Porter draws you in with beautiful, bittersweet language but when you reach the core you realize there is nothing else to be had; basically there is no tootsie roll center to this tootsie pop. He tries his best to depress the reader into thinking he is a master of literature, selling you tears and heartache in faltering attempt to unlock the human spirit.
After reading the title story was where I began to see through his veil. Porter trie More...
After reading the title story was where I began to see through his veil. Porter trie More...
Apr 02, 2010
Red
rated it:
Emotionally complex, character-driven short stories that have a ring of truth. Porter's writing is spare and beautiful.
A few passages:
"...I can tell, as I watch her, that she is too discouraged, too disenchanted, too exhausted with her life, to tell anyone they can't do anything."
"I wasn't sure if I was in love with him. But as I watched him sleep I understood that I could spend the rest of my life with him. I could raise a family with him and More...
A few passages:
"...I can tell, as I watch her, that she is too discouraged, too disenchanted, too exhausted with her life, to tell anyone they can't do anything."
"I wasn't sure if I was in love with him. But as I watched him sleep I understood that I could spend the rest of my life with him. I could raise a family with him and More...
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Sep 17, 2010
Katherine
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This was the August selection for my book club and my favorite of all the books we've read this year. From what I've seen, Mr. Porter has already received a lot of rave reviews for it and it's not hard to see why. Each story is so intricately composed and emotionally satisfying. His prose is simple, graceful and hauntingly poetic. Usually short story collections are uneven, but there wasn't one story in this book I'd take out. I loved especially "Hole" and "River Dog." I read
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Mar 09, 2010
Mary
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I have read some stunningly good short story collections in the past year (Lydia Davis's "Varieties of Disturbance," Maile Meloy's "Both Ways is the Only Way I want It," Nam Le's "The Boat"), and now I'm adding Andrew Porter's "The Theory of Light and Matter" to that list of books I just couldn't put down. If you appreciate beautiful honest writing without all the flash, you will love these stories. My personal favorites were "Connecticut," "
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Jul 17, 2011
Lyn
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After reading Atlas Shrugged and War and Peace back to back, I was ready for some short stories. Very much enjoyed these. This was John Cheever and Augustin Burroughs meets Flannery O'Connor. Porter's style and language are modern and approachable. More humanistic than O'Connor, Porter empathasizes with his people, and there are no "freaks" only freakish situations that the multi-dimensional characters work through, some better than others.
Jul 05, 2010
Lolly LKH
rated it:
I am not a fan of short stories, mainly because I like to get deeply involved in novels and I always feel short stories don't hook and reel me in. With that said I really enjoyed this collection, my favorite being the very first about the boy whose friend goes into a 'hole'. Beautiful and sad. The story about the young student and much much older professor was tenderly composed. Wonderful fiction, short in duration but stayed with me. Highly recommended!
Feb 06, 2012
Sterlingcindysu
rated it:
This is a slim book with slim stories. One is only two pages! Porter gets to the depth of a character quickly, although some of these stories don't need to be that short, almost abrupt. There were three stories told in the first person, that I assumed was female...when the pronoun "he" or "his" was used I was surprised--so it's a good male writer who can make females identify with his character (or perhaps the guys were too touchy-feely).
Jul 19, 2011
Katherine
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“I feel suddenly silly. I realize that there are close to fifty drunk teenagers in my house, and I am sitting here in the dark, half-drunk, trying to patch up the broken love life of my teenage exchange student” (46). *It’s a predicament, all right!
“ ‘As soon as you think you understand something, you eliminate the opportunity for discovery’” (57).
*Were half stars available, I would give it a 3.5.
“ ‘As soon as you think you understand something, you eliminate the opportunity for discovery’” (57).
*Were half stars available, I would give it a 3.5.
Jan 04, 2009
Caroline
rated it:
This collection of marvelous short stories by Andrew Porter is one of the best books I have read in a long time. Porter's stories are spare, delicate, and beautiful. Each one is like a little gem. I have recommended this book to everyone I know and my book group. I can't recommend The Theory of Light and Matter highly enough. Every single story rings true.
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Jun 05, 2010
Casey
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A really excellent collection. It won the Flannery O'Connor Award in 2008, and it's no wonder. It's refreshing to read good stories well told, without any intentional irony or winks or nods at the reader.
The comparisons to Carver, Ford, and Cheever are well earned in these first person, mostly domestic narratives. But don't let the "domestic" settings fool you, these stories speak to something much much larger. I eagerly await Porter's next work.
The comparisons to Carver, Ford, and Cheever are well earned in these first person, mostly domestic narratives. But don't let the "domestic" settings fool you, these stories speak to something much much larger. I eagerly await Porter's next work.
Mar 23, 2009
Elaine
rated it:
I loved so many things about this book. Some of these stories feel like little novels, others just gave me chills (but in a good way) Porter is a sensitive writer. He knows how to pull you in and get you to care about his characters. I’ve read some of the stories in this book over and over and I still can’t figure out how he does it.
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Jan 03, 2009
Mattaca
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Andrew Porter reminds me of Tim O'Brien, always using his characters' faulty memories to flirt with the idea of whether the story actually happened or not. The stories I enjoyed most were "Hole," and the title story ("Theory of Light and Matter"). His writing shows promise, but he writes a little too casually about sex and sexuality for my taste.
Aug 09, 2011
Monika
rated it:
I enjoyed every single story in this book; no surprise, considering Porter is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop (it may be cliché, but you know it's true). Stark, beautiful, a little bit haunting. I love how much Porter was able to convey in just a few pages with each short story. This will definitely be a re-read at some point.
Jun 21, 2010
Melanie
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These short stories are written with exquisite detail that makes each story incredibly real. The stories would be great to savor between other books, where the sharp and clear writing style would stand out as fresh and unexpected. I gobbled up the whole darn book in a day or two, somewhat lessening the goodness of these short stories.
Nov 02, 2010
Vicente
rated it:
I see why it was awarded the Flannery O'Connor Award for short fiction. It's a powerful book, and very experimental. All the stories here are partly memory and partly reconstruction, creating for the reader both a strange and alien world. Read more at:
http://www.suite101.com/content/andrew-p...
http://www.suite101.com/content/andrew-p...
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Mar 24, 2010
Gemma
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I enjoyed these. But I have to tell you something: I don't love short stories. I don't know why. These were great, and I wanted more time with the characters, and that's kind of what always happens. It's like looking at snapshots instead of watching the whole film. I guess this means they were effective? But I just kind of always want short stories to be something else. And that's why I think they just aren't for me.
Mar 13, 2009
Ryan
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Without a doubt the best short story collection I read this year. Porter is a major new talent. These are wise, compassionate stories that don’t rely on irony or cleverness. Some of my favorites include the first story “The Hole,” The Theory of Light and Matter,” and “Azul.” I would recommend this book to anyone.
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Mar 07, 2010
Jen
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Dazzling. The best collection of short stories I read in ages (though a close rival would be Maile Meloy's Both Ways is the Only Way I Want It). I've heard it takes Porter a year to write one short story; each feels labored over, the payoff is great. Quirky, insightful, beautifully written. This will be one to reread.
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May 19, 2010
Amy
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These are very calm, well written short stories. My only criticism would be they lack urgency. Also when he (Andrew Porter) is writing for a female protagonist, I sometimes was very aware the writer was male.
Of course I would recommend this collection & am looking forward to more of Porters' work.
Of course I would recommend this collection & am looking forward to more of Porters' work.
