reviews
Jul 21, 2011
Miss Walker
rated it: 
Summer Book #14 A collection of short stories centered on the Pacific Northwest, this book was a great read, especially because I read a good chunk of it while waiting for a ferry in Friday Harbor. Drinking coffee. And possibly knitting. I could try to be a little more pacific northwest, but I left my fleece jacket at the campsite.
Like any collection of short stories, there were some that I could do without, but there is one that that will stick with me. "A Fair Trade" start More...
Like any collection of short stories, there were some that I could do without, but there is one that that will stick with me. "A Fair Trade" start More...
Jan 17, 2011
Nicole
rated it: 
I loved this so, so much. It's an incredibly quick read, so I think I might have to digest it again in a sitting on some rainy or snowy weekend so I can pick up on all the subtleties I'm sure I missed in the first go.
I thought it was good, but not great, until I got to the story "In Spain, One Thousand and Three." It's told from the POV of a guy whose wife played the cello, but died, and he was pretty much completely obsessed with her for their two years of marriage so now More...
I thought it was good, but not great, until I got to the story "In Spain, One Thousand and Three." It's told from the POV of a guy whose wife played the cello, but died, and he was pretty much completely obsessed with her for their two years of marriage so now More...
Jan 25, 2012
It occurs to me that when I look through books at libraries and bookstores, I'm looking for a certain type of prose: I want the work to read beautifully, observantly of our human thoughts and emotions, and with an unexpected bit of brilliance in certain lines. I want unexpected wit, and a respect for people's thoughts.
All of that is present in The Coast of Good Intentions. These are stunning stories set in Washington state, and I only mention the setting because I'm thrilled finally t More...
All of that is present in The Coast of Good Intentions. These are stunning stories set in Washington state, and I only mention the setting because I'm thrilled finally t More...
Jan 21, 2011
Eliezer
rated it:
I'm not sure I can adequately explain what it is about this book that resonated so deeply for me. There was such an understated, almost mundane quality about the characters in the stories and their lives and the situations they find themselves in that was just so note-perfect. The tone of the stories, the flow of them, reminded me a bit of Richard Yates' Eleven Kinds of Loneliness. These are just normal people going about their everyday lives, but that doesn't mean that there aren't these lit
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Jul 05, 2009
Chrissie
rated it:
I forgot it was a collection of short stories. Byers has an distinct way of sending the reader down a path with a character that is often lonely, unremarkable, yet poignant. The stories began to feel like repeats as the next story would display yet another person waiting for some-thing. Not to say that the characters are written as desperate or pathetic; they are completely unremarkable and simply learning to live in their own world. The male characters are more dimensional; the females seem
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Jan 09, 2012
John
rated it:
When this collection came out, much was made of the fact that Michael Byers was just 28. It wasn't just the fact that a writer so young could demonstrate such talent, but also that he could write so movingly and insightfully about older characters trying to make sense of their lives after retirement or in the wake of a divorce after a decades-long marriage. At 50, I'm not quite there yet, but I can say I was equally impressed with how well he captured the mindset of people well past his age when
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Apr 15, 2008
Steven
rated it: 
The back-cover blurb makes a big deal about how young Byers is (was), and as beautifully written as most of these stories are, some of the false notes are probably because of his age. This is a subtle point, but he gives his older characters sentiments that, while well imagined—that is, what he supposes someone who had those experiences would feel—those sentiments don’t have the edge of authenticity, they don’t feel like someone lived those experiences. I felt this way about some of Ethan Canin’
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May 27, 2010
Jacob
rated it:
Nowadays, youth in publishing is hardly worth crowing about (Dear Christopher Paolini: We won’t get fooled again), but definitely not something to ignore, either. But I’m only 23, so what do I know? Still, the blurb on the back and some of the reviews seem to be excited about Michael Byers’ youth (he’s “only twenty-eight!” Or he was, when he published this), so maybe it’s something worth noting. Or not. Or is it?
Whatever the case, and whatever his age (then and now), Byers is a More...
Whatever the case, and whatever his age (then and now), Byers is a More...
Oct 18, 2009
J
rated it:
i can't remember details, as i read the collection earlier this year. i do recall thinking that there was great topical versatility amongst the stories, as well as skill at creating very diverse characters. padmini had recommended this to me.
Oct 10, 2010
Kate
rated it:
I don't usually like short story collections, but this one kept my attention. The stories all take place in various locations of the Pacific Northwest. The stories are all different, and I liked most of them.
Feb 13, 2009
SmarterLilac
rated it:
Notable mostly for the stunning "Shipmates Down Under," which I found in "The Best American Short Stories, 1997," this collection is good overall. I still hope Byers becomes Mega-Famous someday.
Jun 30, 2011
Julie (Klickitat)
rated it:
A beautiful collection, wide in its range and emotional scope. My favorite story was "Shipmates Down Under." I admired how Byers wove the (fictional) Australian novel into the family's story as subtext. Also, Byers writes children well.
Mar 10, 2011
RUSA
rated it:
This was one of the 1999 RUSA Notable Books winners. For the complete list, go to http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/a...
Mar 18, 2009
Arianna
rated it:
Byers writes beautifully. I'm not really a short-story reader, but he really put a lot of humanness into his characters - they were very easy to relate to, and to imagine. I would be interested in reading his novel at some point.
Jul 30, 2007
I've only read one of the stories in this book and it was wonderful. The story, "Shipmates Down Under," was anthologized in the Best Short Stories of either 1997 or 1999 and is a strange and beautiful exploration of marriage and parenthood (two things of which I have no experience, but it's all very convincing). I can't recommend this story highly enough, and if anyone has a copy of this book I'd love to borrow it. Just wanted to put this review up there so that other short story lover
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Jan 30, 2008
Jeff
rated it:
I bought this book because the author married an old friend of mine. He has a deft touch with language. The stories were emotionally deep and i felt sated upon finishing most, enough that i kept looking for his next book and purchased his first novel, Long for This World upon publication.
Dec 30, 2008
Robert
rated it:
I'm friends with Michael Byers, having studied with him at Pitt, so there's no way I can write a fair review. I did, however, really like this book. The quote "There is beauty in precision" comes to mind when reading Byers: he has a gift for the perfectly placed detail. Also, I love the way his complex sentences form and unspool, carrying the reader along.
Apr 14, 2008
Marni
rated it:
A delightful read, lovely prose, not an earthshattering book but very satisfying. Short stories need to create a vivid world quickly, and he has done a very credible and creditible job. My favorite story is n Spain, ONe Thousand and Three'--a very moving portrait of a man grieving after his young wife's death.
Jul 14, 2007
Nicholas
rated it:
Pretty remarkable story collection. Each one unfolds slowly and ends up catching the reader in the gut with the struggle of his characters and the moments when they reveal the most about themselves. "Shipmates Down Under", "Wizard", and "In Spain, One Thousand and Three" are very polished and amazing stories.
Oct 13, 2007
Jasmin
rated it: 
Kept waiting for a story that would grab me and it didn't happen. Seems like he thought up some promising characters and didn't get to know them very well.
Dec 17, 2009
Babs
rated it:
A nice collection of short stories. Overall, well written and engaging from the git-go. Quick read.
Feb 11, 2012
Feb 09, 2012
Feb 09, 2012
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Jan 29, 2012
Jan 11, 2012
