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The Hanging Gardens of Split Rock: Stories
by
Mike Faloon (Goodreads Author)
According to conventional wisdom some goals are best not pursued. The characters in The Hanging Gardens of Split Rock have yet to learn this. Pocket Hercules taps into the power of the ancient wonders to mend a broken heart, with some heavy metal to help. Little League coach Gary Shouldice probably goes too far in motivating his son. Leon Rayner serenades a girl he barely...more
Paperback, 191 pages
Published
July 1st 2010
by Gorsky Press
(first published 2010)
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Book Giveaways: WINNER! (Thanks Mike Faloon!)
The stories and essays making up this compliation range from the hialrious to the heartbreaking. But what makes these stories and essays so enjoyable is the realisitc personalities that resonate through the words and the voices given to the characters and narrator. In every story I could clearly picture the characters, and relate them to someone in my own life...and, as hard as it is to admit, I've been some of these people, as well.
Mike Faloon is an...more
The stories and essays making up this compliation range from the hialrious to the heartbreaking. But what makes these stories and essays so enjoyable is the realisitc personalities that resonate through the words and the voices given to the characters and narrator. In every story I could clearly picture the characters, and relate them to someone in my own life...and, as hard as it is to admit, I've been some of these people, as well.
Mike Faloon is an...more
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saw this mentioned....have it now...
stories.
good reads, all, some refreshing takes on things...unique...as i am rather clueless when it comes to....music...unique in that i never heard the terms arena band...jam band....a few others. stories? essays? fiction? the jacket says fiction. he uses his name for a character in more than one piece.
thought that was strange, what w/our...society...
i mean, is it really non-fiction, say like michael perry writes? or just technique? using your name for a ch...more
stories.
good reads, all, some refreshing takes on things...unique...as i am rather clueless when it comes to....music...unique in that i never heard the terms arena band...jam band....a few others. stories? essays? fiction? the jacket says fiction. he uses his name for a character in more than one piece.
thought that was strange, what w/our...society...
i mean, is it really non-fiction, say like michael perry writes? or just technique? using your name for a ch...more
I've been enjoying Mike Faloon's work in zines for years so I read this collection of essays and short stories with great pleasure. The tales collected in The Hanging Gardens of Split Rock focus on young people, men mostly, working through various periods of awkwardness between high school and their early twenties.
Mike's characters aren't particularly rebellious, but they don't fit in with the status quo either. In the stories that involve multiple characters, the narrator is typically the most...more
Mike's characters aren't particularly rebellious, but they don't fit in with the status quo either. In the stories that involve multiple characters, the narrator is typically the most...more
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I normally is not a huge fan of short stories, but these were great! Hilarious and sometimes a little heart-breaking. I think what I liked about these stories was that there was an ending to them. That is what turns me off about short stories normally....that many are just a brief anecdote that just gets me interested and then stops without any kind of closure. This was a free read that I won from GR and was glad b/c this is not a title I would have picked-up and would have missed out on! I will...more
Each chapter of this book offers an independent story that features a different resident of Split Rock, with only the character of the author himself being featured in more than one story. The stories offer a tantalizing glimpse into a person and situation, and then leave you hanging at the end. Some of the stories didn't really grab me, but others were engaging and quite funny. I love the authors description of the music store clerk's scheme to get the attentions of a girl, and I also really en...more
This was a Good Reads giveaway book for an honest review. I did enjoy this collection of short stories, although a few missed their mark, I think. The underlying theme rooted for the underdog (or occasionally slapped him down), who seldom won the battle or even really understood the war. It was satisfying on the few occasions that the little guy beat the bully, though. A lot of the stories involved modern music and one story, more of an essay, is an analysis of different types of music and bands...more
Raised a descendant of a family, Mike Faloon recounts moving travels and remarkable self-discovery. He discovers a community secret: memories straddling the past.
I won this in a First Reads giveaway. Very excited to read this book!
Finished it. Very good stories. I am definitely passing this on to my friends and family for them to enjoy!
Finished it. Very good stories. I am definitely passing this on to my friends and family for them to enjoy!
I think this was a pretty decent anthology of short stories. It made me think of the peices I went through for high school speech competions. Short stories normally isn't my thing because they are kind of choppy and can make a reader get whip lash but I was impressed. I was brought in by each story.
Giveaway/ARC/first-reads - Thank you! Not as sweet as the picture on the cover. Somehow I got the impression that these slice-of-life stories were to be very innocent and full of heart, almost-but-not-quite sappy. Well, they've got heart all right, but they're richer & more complex. Plenty of pathos etc.
I dunno for sure how to review this though, as I was truly hoping for something just plain sweet. I think I enjoyed it a little less than my star rating, but I gave it 4 full stars because mo...more
I dunno for sure how to review this though, as I was truly hoping for something just plain sweet. I think I enjoyed it a little less than my star rating, but I gave it 4 full stars because mo...more
A good blend of comic fiction, smartly composed essays, and reflections on everything from prog-rock to Little League baseball.
I like some of the stories but some I just don't seem to "get". I think this is one of those books you either really like or in my case a struggle to get through. Read it and see how you like it. It may be your cup of tea.
Sep 04, 2010
Carol Lorenc
added it
Forget it.
Mike is a friend and colleague. It was so thrilling to read his work. He is witty and insightful.
This is a free book from the Goodreads First Reads giveaways!
A collection of amusing short stories. At times I felt like I was hanging out in a bar listening to these tales from a contemporary. Not really sure if there was a theme though...
A collection of amusing short stories. At times I felt like I was hanging out in a bar listening to these tales from a contemporary. Not really sure if there was a theme though...
For a short story this was great. I didnt want to put it down. Will be looking for more books from this author.
The stories in this book would make good TV sit-com .
Apr 30, 2012
Richard
marked it as to-read
Dec 09, 2011
Jeremy
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Aug 22, 2011
Aimee
marked it as to-read
Jun 21, 2011
Matty Blue
is currently reading it
Jun 21, 2011
Erin Coleman
marked it as to-read
Feb 10, 2011
anonymous
marked it as to-read
Feb 04, 2011
Editrix (Amy Lewis)
marked it as to-read
Feb 03, 2011
Doug
marked it as purchased
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Mike Faloon has paid the bills as a DJ, dishwasher, and drummer. He is the publisher of two zines (Go Metric, Zisk) and a contributing writer to Chunklet, Razorcake, and Roctober. His work has also appeared in The Zine Yearbook (Soft Skull), The Overrated Book (Last Gasp), and The Rock Bible (Quirk). His first book is The Hanging Gardens of Split Rock (Gorsky). He lives with his family in upstate...more
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