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40th out of 61 books
—
17 voters
The Secrets of a Fire King
by
Kim Edwards
In each of these elegant and mesmerizing stories, Kim Edwards explores the lives of those who exist on the fringes of society--a fire-eater, an American and his Korean war bride, a juggler and a trapeze artist. Spanning several generations and transporting us to exotic locations in Europe, Asia, and America, this wise and exquisite story collection marks the debut of a gif...more
Paperback, 240 pages
Published
July 15th 1998
by Picador
(first published 1997)
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Aug 26, 2011
Teresa
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Teresa by:
Tara
I can't remember when I first heard that a story should engage the reader in a 'suspension of disbelief,' and I can't remember the last time I read a collection of stories that fits this idea so well -- not because unusual things happen, but because the writing drew me in so fully that the experience of reading it felt dream-like. Each story is a fully-realized world unto itself, a perfect little capsule.
One story nailed so well for me how it felt to be a teenager in the 70's that I wasn't surpr...more
One story nailed so well for me how it felt to be a teenager in the 70's that I wasn't surpr...more
10 likes · like · see review
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There are books that have substance, and there are books that are pure style. Not that there's anything wrong with style: see this short piece about Joyce and the "New-Agey claptrap" Paulo Coelho churns out.
But, it is exceedingly difficult to write a readable book that is pure style with, at the heart of it, very little substance. Edwards tries, and the result is a collection of short stories (fictional vignettes really) that falls far short of her debut novel, The Memory Keeper's daughter. The...more
But, it is exceedingly difficult to write a readable book that is pure style with, at the heart of it, very little substance. Edwards tries, and the result is a collection of short stories (fictional vignettes really) that falls far short of her debut novel, The Memory Keeper's daughter. The...more
This is a book of short stories. Some of them are amazing, some of them not so much. Still worth reading cover to cover.
This was the only book that I got to from the stacks in September (I’m reading through all of our color-coded book stacks one color at a time).
The stories are incredibly varied. The characters range over many cultures, age ranges, and are of both genders. Edwards must have a deep understanding of human nature to make such a diverse character list believable. The stories focus o...more
This was the only book that I got to from the stacks in September (I’m reading through all of our color-coded book stacks one color at a time).
The stories are incredibly varied. The characters range over many cultures, age ranges, and are of both genders. Edwards must have a deep understanding of human nature to make such a diverse character list believable. The stories focus o...more
Apr 20, 2011
Jason (FNORDinc)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
reviewed,
reviewed-on-bookcyclepdx
I am not one who normally invests time in short stories. It is not that I dislike them, more that I find them unsatisfying. I get involved and dedicated to an idea and find it cut short. This is expected as it is the intent of the medium.
A result of this is that I either avoid them completely, or read them, and feel that my opinion is not a fair reflection of the work. So I rarely write reviews of collections like this.
This stated, Kim Edwards’ collection of shorts ‘The Secrets of a Fire King’ w...more
A result of this is that I either avoid them completely, or read them, and feel that my opinion is not a fair reflection of the work. So I rarely write reviews of collections like this.
This stated, Kim Edwards’ collection of shorts ‘The Secrets of a Fire King’ w...more
I wanted to like this book. But I really didn't. I picked it up because I had read The Memory Keeper's Daughter and wanted to read something else by the same author. The first few stories in the collection were okay, not great, but then I started to notice a pattern in the author's writing: the men were all villains and the women were all victims, which is not a flattering portrayal for either sex. I read about half of the stories and then finally gave up.
The Secrets of a Fire King is one of 14 well crafted stories told with brisk assurance,mostly from a first person perspective.Despite a uniformity of length and style and definate thematic similarities, all of the stories describe wildly different and unusual circumstances.Edwards skill is relentless as she catapults the reader into each scenario.Somehow we are immediately immersed in the commonplace of the bizarre situations articulated with such bland confidence that we can hardly challenge th...more
This is one of those special surprises I found in a remainder bin, of all places. This will go down as another "best of" story collection for me. I went and looked at other reviews and was shocked at the low ratings it got. I can only imagine that the readers who read her more popular fiction in The Memory Keeper's Daughter were lost within her more literary stories. I did not read MKD, so can't comment, but that's the only reason that can account for the angry one stars.
Edwards is extremely ade...more
Edwards is extremely ade...more
5 likes · like · see review
I struggled my way through this book for over two months. I was only able to read one chapter at a time, which is unusual for me. It's not that the book was boring, more that it was fairly depressing and not at all a cohesive entity. When I checked it out of the library I knew it was a collection of short stories, but the jacket description led me to believe those stories are linked in some way. They aren't. Not that I could see anyway. Other than that each story dealt with a relationship, and w...more
A beautifully written book! Kim is a master at weaving strange ,unsettling tales alive with emotions.Most of the protagonists are women. The first few stories seemed similar, with common themes of death, redemption and loneliness. But as I read on , I felt that that stories kept getting better and better. A thin chord of melancholy runs through the stories ,but Kim's prowess with words helps one brush away the sadness in the stories and plough right on. I haven't read a better collection of stor...more
I really enjoyed "The Memory Keeper's Daughter", so I was excited to read "The Secrets of a Fire King" and see what Edwards did with short stories. Each short story is a vignette in the life of a different character, spanning various ages, generations, cultures, etc. Each character has his or her own unique voice, and as the reader, you are transported all over the globe. Edwards writes convincingly as each of the different narrators - and there are stories of pride, naivety, ignorance, but over...more
This book is 14 short stories. Now, I'm not one for reading short stories, actually I usually find them disappointing and boring. Not in this case. I really loved this book and I'm really surprised at a number of people who rated this book so low. I cannot understand why, other than that the stories didn't always end on a happy note, actually, most ended that way. While some stories were just average, the majority of them were really good. I found Kim Edwards' writing very intelligent. None of h...more
This book contains 14 short stories by Kim Edwards. The stories are about interesting characters who encounter rare scenarios and predicaments. I found the stories to be like short mysteries that I was eager to read and have solved. Elements of magic and mysticism were sometimes introduced. Kim writes in such a way that you "get into the heads" of the characters and they haunt you. After each story was completed I was imagining what was coming next for the characters. The short stories were very...more
i was quite wary of picking this book up. but later i realized that it was worth it. The stories inside are short but full of meaning. THey are written beautifully and each story doesn't really have an ending--it's up to you to conclude, or end, with your own imagination. While reading this book I felt like i was apart from reality--such was the beauty of the way it was written. The author, Kim Edwards, knows how keep her reader interested and usually throws endings that makes you wonder on life...more
Before The Memory Keepers Daughter skyrocketed up the best-seller list, author Kim Edwards wrote another book, a collection of short stories.
We all know how much I love a good short story collection, and since I adored The Memory Keepers Daughter, I was interested in reading this one. I was even more interested when I spotted the audio at the library.
Before I start with the commentary, I gotta say something about that cover.
It kind of creeps me out, if I do say so myself. It's too ... embryot...more
We all know how much I love a good short story collection, and since I adored The Memory Keepers Daughter, I was interested in reading this one. I was even more interested when I spotted the audio at the library.
Before I start with the commentary, I gotta say something about that cover.
It kind of creeps me out, if I do say so myself. It's too ... embryot...more
The Secrets of a Fire King
By Kim Edwards
255pp New York, New York
Penguin Group (USA) inc. $14.00
ISBN: 978-0-14-311230-3
The Secrets of a Fire King is a wonderful collection of short stories portraying the lives of people who you don’t find in New York City today. There are stories about difference, family problems, and relationships. You will find yourself feeling bad for the people who suffer and feeling happy for the people who are finally free of conflict. You will surely find yourself engaged...more
By Kim Edwards
255pp New York, New York
Penguin Group (USA) inc. $14.00
ISBN: 978-0-14-311230-3
The Secrets of a Fire King is a wonderful collection of short stories portraying the lives of people who you don’t find in New York City today. There are stories about difference, family problems, and relationships. You will find yourself feeling bad for the people who suffer and feeling happy for the people who are finally free of conflict. You will surely find yourself engaged...more
I think my enjoyment of The Memory Keeper's Daughter was a fluke. I found The Secrets of a Fire King, a collection of short stories by Kim Edwards a chore to read.
The short story collection has fourteen short stories. They are set in very different places and in very different eras. They all focus around a supposedly strong female narrator who must prove herself during impossible situations. With the exception of "Spring, Mountain, Sea" and "A Gleaming in the Darkness" I didn't like the stories,...more
The short story collection has fourteen short stories. They are set in very different places and in very different eras. They all focus around a supposedly strong female narrator who must prove herself during impossible situations. With the exception of "Spring, Mountain, Sea" and "A Gleaming in the Darkness" I didn't like the stories,...more
Beautiful imagery, clean writing, and well crafted plots mark this collection of short stories. However, the writing is at times so clinical and cool that I felt too removed from the characters, and some of the stories left me emotionally unsatisfied. I would recommend it to read once and also as a tool to learn elements of the craft of writing, but it's not a book you could revisit often. The only story that really resonated with me was "The Way It Felt To be Falling"
Good read- it is a book made up of short stories- the author is really an amazing writer. all of the stories are completely different and have such diverse and well told characters. my only beef with this author is that she doesn't often have happy endings to her stories, which makes it a little difficult while reading (expecting the characters to end up unhappy is always sad for me!). But she is really at defining and describing new and different characters.
Jan 12, 2009
Michael
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
contemporary_fiction,
short_stories
As with most every short story collection (save Hempel, Cheever, Munro, and Robison) waffled about how many stars to give this. Some of the stories are utterly superb (and so worthy of five stars), and a few others are merely good (three, maybe), so we'll average 'em.
There's a thoroughness to the evocation of women and of the world that I admire enormously and that times tried my patience (I like swifter voices). Really notable, though, for the wide range of these stories, and for their insiste...more
There's a thoroughness to the evocation of women and of the world that I admire enormously and that times tried my patience (I like swifter voices). Really notable, though, for the wide range of these stories, and for their insiste...more
This was a book of short stories that gave many messages about the idea of self, impact of wealth, appreciation, love and ignorance.
I found the last story to be very good and impacting - how the girl's life was created by her mother but only to benefit her mother. The story, "In the Garden" made me think about the decisions I make and how I choose to live my life.
When I finished this book I felt like there should be more, like it had gone too quickly.
I found the last story to be very good and impacting - how the girl's life was created by her mother but only to benefit her mother. The story, "In the Garden" made me think about the decisions I make and how I choose to live my life.
When I finished this book I felt like there should be more, like it had gone too quickly.
A book of short stories by the author the The Memory Keeper's Daughter.
There were some lovely stories in this collection, and some of them I thought about for quite a while after reading. I especially enjoyed the story of Marie Curie's housekeeper, who became as fascinated with the 'shining light' in the jars as Marie Curie did. Also, the story of the Korean was bride, who made sense of her new life in America by the names she gave her children.
There were some lovely stories in this collection, and some of them I thought about for quite a while after reading. I especially enjoyed the story of Marie Curie's housekeeper, who became as fascinated with the 'shining light' in the jars as Marie Curie did. Also, the story of the Korean was bride, who made sense of her new life in America by the names she gave her children.
This is a collection of short stories by the author of the MEMORY KEEPER'S DAUGHTER, a book I have considered reading, but not yet added to my long queue of "books to read." I found THE SECRETS OF A FIRE KING in the bargain audio-bin at Books-A-Million and decided to try it.
There are fourteen stories. Alienation is a common theme, and many of the settings are in, or have ties to, the Asian Pacific. (I believe I read the author lived there once.) Many of the stories are about a female that is tre...more
There are fourteen stories. Alienation is a common theme, and many of the settings are in, or have ties to, the Asian Pacific. (I believe I read the author lived there once.) Many of the stories are about a female that is tre...more
This is a collection of stories. Some are good, some not so good. They are not related to each other in any way.
Typically, I don't read short stories. I find they do not have the depth I desire when I read. However, several of these stories leaving you thinking about the characters and their story. Several of the stories were boring or strange (Rat Stories).
Needless, I would read Kim Edward's again. She is a very poetic writer with a superb ability to develop characters.
Typically, I don't read short stories. I find they do not have the depth I desire when I read. However, several of these stories leaving you thinking about the characters and their story. Several of the stories were boring or strange (Rat Stories).
Needless, I would read Kim Edward's again. She is a very poetic writer with a superb ability to develop characters.
This book is composed of several moving short stories. Some of the stories leave you hanging at the end and some just don't end at all, but one thing is for sure, you will be sucked in to each and every one. Kim Edwards gives such delicious descriptions with such wonderful detail. Each story develops in your mind and you tend to forget that you're reading a book of short stories.
I was excited to get three stories into the book and still be looking forward to what came next. Usually books of short stories start off well and then morph into mediocre disappointments for me. I loved and appreciated every story but one (only because I have a personal hatred for stories about couples who see the significant other cheating and say nothing-I can't even begin to relate to that). My very favorite was "Thirst", which reminds me of The Little Mermaid. I'm not sure if the main chara...more
Disappointed in this to be honest. The cover art was eye catching, the synopsis was interesting...I read up to Chapter 4 and couldn't get any further :( Chapters 1 and 2 were very beautiful and poignant, chapter 3 was a little rougher to read as it dealt with morality....I think it's worth reading if you like this author. Each chapter was a stand alone story which surprised me.
i'm not yet a short-story type of person. by the time i got "into" each tale -- it always takes me a bit of time but once i've bonded with literary characters i never look back -- it was over. i wanted their stories to continue. i wanted to learn about their full-length novel lives. i realize this probably means it was a good collection of works but my sinful envy that kim edwards knows more about her characters than she's telling me means i'm only giving her 3 stars. i guess this makes me a fla...more
The stories here are elemental, drawing on themes of loss, exile, grief, marginalization. Edwards has taken the themes she explored in The Memory Keeper's Daughter and used them to create vignettes. There is still room for power here, but I was more caught in the first 2-3 stories than in the remainder. By the time I got to the title story, I was pretty much done. Sure, the themes are compelling; but the same ideas permeate, and the way she ends each story seems too pat, too "I am trying to be...more
I love good short stories and I loved all the stories in this book. I think my favorite was " A Gleaming in the Darkness". I really love meta-fiction and a few of these stories fall into that realm. It's not a happy book, so if that's what you're looking for you won't find it here. While I enjoyed The Memory Keepers Daughter, I liked this book more.
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Kim Edwards grew up in Skaneateles, New York, in the heart of the Finger Lakes region. The oldest of four children, she graduated from Colgate University and the University of Iowa, where she received an MFA in Fiction and an MA in Linguistics. After completing her graduate work, she went with her husband to Asia, where they spent the next five years teaching, first on the rural east coast of Mala...more
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“I imagine that she flushes, seeing him there, for she is at that age when even the most commonplace boys take on a sense of mystery. And this boy is not ordinary. He is wild and he has strange and fanciful perceptions. [p. 153]”
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1 person liked it
“The year was 1922, and the Curies had transformed plain earth into something rare and unimagined. A secret of the universe has been revealed, and a restless world dreamed of transformation. [p. 205]”
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1 person liked it
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