Like his novel, Snow Falling On Cedars, for which he received the PEN/Faulkner Award, Guterson's beautifully observed and emotionally piercing shor...
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reviews
Jan 20, 2010
Spike
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Some wonderful stories in here, which many readers may characterize as coming-of-age tales. I'd say they are closer to simply "in age" stories. The protagonists are usually teenage boys or young men. Guterson has a wonderful way of taking the reader right under the character's skin, especially when he writes in first person. A good example is the last story in the collection, "The Flower Garden", in which a young man struggles with love for the first time. other standouts are
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Feb 11, 2012
Hannah
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I have mixed opinions on this book. I really disliked the first two stories in this, they were extremely over descriptive. Fifteen words for every one actually needed! And this is exactly the reason I wouldn’t normally go near a short story collection. I persevered and I found it improved, however overall it has to be said it’s quite a ‘male’ book in that there’s a lot about fishing, shooting, basketball etc. I don’t like to be that stereotypical but I don’t think I’m the only person to have tho
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Feb 11, 2012
Kari
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These short stories by David Guterson almost sounded like the first chapters of books he just never wrote. They did not feel like they had closure at all. I understand that short stories are to leave the reader pondering what happens next and creating that in their own minds, but Guterson's short stories were different than that. As the reader, I expected to turn the page to read on to get more information, not just wondering what would happen next. I felt that I did not get to know the char
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Feb 18, 2008
Stephanie
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Oct 03, 2011
Diane
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This is the same author who wrote the beautiful novel, Snow Falling on Cedars. This, a collection of ten short stories, is equally lovely. ( I especially liked one called American Elm.) The collection is a tender, coming of age piece that avoids the trappings of sappy cliches and sentimentality. Most are set in the Pacific Northwest and are poignant and sweet.
Apr 04, 2011
Regina
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Easy and quick read. I enjoyed these stories, but I must admit that I like Guterson's other books better. Being a wife, mother and mother-in-law for so many years, I can relate to stories about men and boys. I've learned over the years to read between the lines and "hear" unspoken requests and responses. In general, men might enjoy this book more than women.
Jun 24, 2011
Sherman
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I recently found this small book of short stories at a library book sale and since I enjoyed "Snow Falling On Cedars" by this author decided to get it. Ten stories about men, hunting, fishing and sports mostly taking place in the Pacific Northwest. No chick lit here. Engaging stories and beautifully written.
Jan 08, 2012
Garlan
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This is a small collection of stories set mostly in the Northwest, with a varied group of characters all coming to grips with often personal, and seemingly small events. The power of many of the stories lay in Guterson's deft use of prose and minimal dialogue that somehow still carries a lot of weight. Only a couple of the stories really stood out from the rest, but all were good IMO. Small incidents have great importance and make a larger impact on the characters. All in all, a good read.
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Mar 12, 2011
Maciek
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An enjoyable collection of short fiction by the author of "Snow Falling on Cedars". Since I'm a fan of the form I was delighted to read this volume. Even though Guterson struggles with theme and character (it was his debut) and the stories themselves are pretty simple, he has a knack of writing about the Pacific Northwest and these stories, slowly and leasurely paced, have a soothing effect. Most involve boys growing up and confronting life, so if that's your thing by all means give it
Oct 20, 2011
Anne
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Short stories by the author of Snow Falling on Cedars. Wonderful descriptions of nature - forests, changing of seasons. Most are about young men (and some old men), some are dark and sad. Read it for the description power of the words.
Jul 27, 2011
Stefanie
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David Guterson is one of my favorite authors. His short stories are nothing short of genius. Full of deep conversation and raw emotion, he manages to fill a few pages with more heartfelt writing than some authors can do in a complete novel.
May 31, 2011
Steven
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A solid story collection that shows the early promise in Guterson's writing. I always enjoy it when you can see the seeds for a writer's later novels in their first stories, as it's a tiny window into how their thinking evolved on the subject or characters. But, it's the final story here, "The Flower Garden," because it is so different than all the others and anything else I've read of his, which really stands out. It's a stunner that is uncommonly wise about young love and it's end
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Aug 04, 2009
Steph
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Men's lives to a degree that sometimes unsettled, but usually bored. Too quiet.
Jan 01, 2010
Andrés
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An excellent set of short stories that probes the sadness of living. The plots are not extravagant and their telling is quite plainspoken. The writing style has a self-taught air about it that precludes any sentimentality for what are all quietly sad stories. They touch on death, love, coming-of-age, and what it means to grow old, all told in an honest manner that avoids the climactic and the cliché.
Sep 14, 2010
Jonathan
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Beautiful, succinct stories, buried in landscape, rich with simplicity, and both successfully self-contained and willing to open to the wider world.
Jan 04, 2012
SmarterLilac
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The fourth worst book I have ever read. (It gets points for the one halfway-decent story in here, though, "Aliens.") I have never seen work this bad from a name author. Not even the early work of Hemingway, Fitzgerald or Oates (some of which is entirely amateurish) is this bad.
Oct 26, 2009
Rich
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I picked this up because I relly enjoyed 'The Oher', but at first I did not like this book at all - I almost decided to not bother finishing it. I stayed with it though, and found the stories got better. Not in my top 10 for sure, but I liked te last four stories very much.
Sep 21, 2007
Laura
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I know it's stereotyping to say this, but this book is a "man's book." Lots of hunting, very little talking, lots of great descriptions of the physical environment. Not as good as other books of Guterson's but these stories are still solid.
Mar 02, 2010
Gloria
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Decent collection of short stories. Some kind of bogged down for me and got a bit too descriptive and wordy-- but I liked, for the most part, the characters he created.
Oct 11, 2008
Jon
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Loved the short stories - loved to descriptions of the landscapes. Written like a rural Raymond Carver. Perfect.
Feb 11, 2012
Feb 01, 2012
