My rating:

add to my books

The Evil B.B. Chow and Other Stories

by Steve Almond

3.59 · rating details · 389 ratings · 55 reviews

Steve Almond, the man whose candy jones fueled the bestseller "Candyfreak," returns with a collection of stories that both seals his reputation as a master of the modern form and risks getting him arrested. The cast of characters in "The Evil B.B. Chow and Other Stories" includes a wealthy family certain they have been abducted by space aliens, a sexy m...more

Paperback, 233 pages

Published April 28th 2006 by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill (first published 2005)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 528)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Mar 12, 2008

Andrew rated it

Should Steve Almond bother you? Should you find it condescending that he’s got a reading comprehension test on his website? Should you get the icks from Almond’s writing about teaching the sexy, sexed-up female students in a writing workshop very much resembling his own at Boston College? Should you down some ipecac because his most assured writing in The Evil B.B. Chow and Other Stories is in a story called “The Idea of Michael Jackson’s Dick”?

Ugh, yes. Steve, you have freaked us out....moreShould Steve Almond bother you? Should you find it condescending that he’s got a reading comprehension test on his website? Should you get the icks from Almond’s writing about teaching the sexy, sexed-up female students in a writing workshop very much resembling his own at Boston College? Should you down some ipecac because his most assured writing in The Evil B.B. Chow and Other Stories is in a story called “The Idea of Michael Jackson’s Dick”?

Ugh, yes. Steve, you have freaked us out.

But what’s especially bothersome is the writing in B.B. Chow is technically good. It’s measured. It’s pointed. It’s—well, it’s like this passage from a story about a woman with a crush on a computer repairman, “Wired for Life”:

At the word warranty, Charlie shied away. His eyes welled into little pools of sullenness.

October, he said.

Janie nudged her boobs against the glass counter. The receipt says 90 days.

Charlie smiled miserably. He did not look at Janie, nor especially at her boobs, but carried the adapter with its cord dragging behind and set it down on his worktable and disappeared into the back of the shop. He returned with his spool of solder and hunkered down before his sadder [sic] gun while Janie pretended not to notice. There was a delicious, excruciating aspect to the tableau.

I didn’t know pro writers were allowed to use the word boobs! It’s fantastic! We finally have a word for those megastructures on the cover of Maxim, Stuff, and FHM, for those neat balloons of fat (to be generous) that are the precursor of one’s being punched by one’s girlfriend! I had had to use the cocophonous term breasts. Or bosoms. Or nothing at all. Boobs! Neat! Thanks, Steve; quoting your best writing in your new collection gives me permission to talk about boobs without fear of retribution. You’ve also liberated bestiality (in “Appropriate Sex”), President-on-abolitionist action (in “Lincoln, Arisen”), and the idea of Michael Jackson’s dick (in “The Idea of Michael Jackson’s Dick”) as fruitful writing topics. They’re like new veins of gold to all writers. Let the rush begin.

Ok. Yeah. The serious part.

We’re talking medium-abuse here. A book is one medium, like television, graffiti, or a girlfriend’s left hook (don’t you dare say it can’t carry a message). Books are expensive. They demand expensive writing to justify the cost of paying the sponsoring editor, the acquisitions editor, the editorial assistant, the cover designer, the rights assistant, the manufacturer, the packager, the copyeditor, the UPS guy, the Barnes and Noble salesperson, and eventually the author, instead of, say, using that money and energy to, say, feed people. With the exception of “I Am as I Am” and “Larsen’s Novel,” a fine piece about the obligations between grown men, the stories in The Evil B.B. Chow are cheap. They are arrived at cheaply and leave the reader feeling cheaper. But, of course, saying this book would be better placed in a cheap medium like the Internet is like saying Hollywood shouldn’t have remade The In-Laws: Hollywood shouldn’t have, but hey, the money’s there, and they have mouths to feed too. It’s a frustrating thing, this—we know Almond can write well. His culinary piece in the current issue of Tin House so captured the care and humor in cooking a favorite meal for friends that I wondered if all that time I spent watching “Great Chefs” in college would have been better spent reading cooking magazines.

The Evil B.B. Chow is entertaining in its cheap way (boobs!). But Almond cribs simultaneously from that of Esquire and Toby Wolff—two types of writing many readers enjoy but which should never end up on the same page. He should pick one or the other at one time, and so should you.(less)

like 2 likes

· see review

Nov 29, 2010

Bird Brian rated it

Shelves: literature-present-day

I don't know whether the stories in this collection just got better towards the end, or whether Steve Almond's style grew on me. It would be interersting to know who decided the B.B. Chow story should be the title- it isn't the best story here by a long shot. That distinction would go to I Am as I Am. I started off reviewing all the stories, but it is clear that would make this overlong and uninteresting. Here are the highlights, as I see them:

I Am as I Am- Don't ask me where the tit...moreI don't know whether the stories in this collection just got better towards the end, or whether Steve Almond's style grew on me. It would be interersting to know who decided the B.B. Chow story should be the title- it isn't the best story here by a long shot. That distinction would go to I Am as I Am. I started off reviewing all the stories, but it is clear that would make this overlong and uninteresting. Here are the highlights, as I see them:

I Am as I Am- Don't ask me where the title comes from. This is a soulful tale of the suffering a boy inflicts on himself after accidentally killing a schoolmate. Up to this point in the collection, the stories all had a humerous side. This one made me take Steve Almond seriously. I have no direct experience with the subject matter, but I can believe Mr Almond might; the exploration of the boys' friendship preceeding the accident, as well as how the other children viewed the deceased is heartwrenching.

The Evil B.B. Chow gives a short account of Chow's courtship of a girl, and explains how it is that he is evil. The story is so-so. Yeah, B.B. Chow is a dick. This was an interesting character study, and when you find out what Chow was up to, it makes you go back and reexamine everything up to that point in the story.

The Soul Molecule - Protagonist has brunch with the long-lost family who used to live down the street from where he grew up. Their conversation gradually reveals everybody in the family believes they were victims of a UFO abduction. He leaves, sorry to see how crazy they have become (...or were they? Dum dum DUMMMMM!!!!!) Actually, I don't think Almond was going for the Rod Serling story here. I think he was going for that sad realization each of us occasionally faces when we realize we've idealized or glamourized elements of our past beyond what they deserved.

Appropriate Sex is a short thumbnail sketch of a college English professor, as he observes the various students in his class. It feels more like a writing exercise than a story. Almond establishes some interesting people, including the girl who only likes to have "inappropriate" sex (e.g. with her college professors). He even gets the ball moving in this direction, and then pulls the plug. Unsatisfying as a short story; could've been a good "Letters to Penthouse" if he would have continued.

Larsen's Novel was the funniest of the lot. I actually laughed out loud at excerpts of Larsen's inept and self-congratulatory novel. Some of it reminded me of the science fiction novel Steven Colbert is always promoting on his show (I forget the whole title, but the main character's name is Tek Jenssen, who is transparently modeled after Colbert) Almond could have played the whole novel off for laughs, but instead gave Larsen's novel depth by showing it in the greater context of Larsen's life. He's middle aged, his marriage is on the rocks, his kids are brats and he has a hard time connecting with his best friend. The novel is a surreal expression of the life he longs for, where he's loved and respected. I wonder whether this story is based on Almond himself, or maybe one of his author friends.

Skull Here's another one that Almond could have played for either juvenile laughs or shock value. Instead, he treated it tenderly and made it something special. This story is only about ten pages long, yet he's developed the characters well enough that you really care about them. I would not have forgiven Almond if he made this whole subject a big frat-boy joke; and he didn't. This is artful writing. (less)

like 5 likes

· see review

Jul 23, 2008

Sharon rated it

I had the great pleasure of hearing Steve Almond read a slightly abridged version of his story "Appropriate Sex" from this collection and promptly decided I must jump into his stories headfirst. Overall, I was not disappointed.

The short stories in this book are heartbreaking, some in beauty and others in despair. Almond's humor and ability to push the reader right to the edge keep these stories from becoming maudlin, particularly when we are forced to look inside ourselves th...moreI had the great pleasure of hearing Steve Almond read a slightly abridged version of his story "Appropriate Sex" from this collection and promptly decided I must jump into his stories headfirst. Overall, I was not disappointed.

The short stories in this book are heartbreaking, some in beauty and others in despair. Almond's humor and ability to push the reader right to the edge keep these stories from becoming maudlin, particularly when we are forced to look inside ourselves through the lens of his characters.

The title story is my favorite and the one that feels the most complete to me. I felt that several of the stories went on for a beat longer than was needed, causing their power to be blunted at the very end.

In addition to the title story, I especially liked "Lincoln, Arisen" which has some of the most startling and beautiful lines I've read anywhere. Only Steve Almond could envision a mystical relationship between Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. It's a story that reads like poetry - not a wasted word or unfocused image.

"The Problem of Human Consumption" is another story that sticks with me from this collection. After thirteen years, a father and daughter continue to dance their lives around loss, their actions as mundane and inexplicable as the death they have never discussed. It is haunting.

Some of the stories didn't work as well for me. "The Soul Molecule" felt too insubstantial, as if it was afraid to dig deeper into the story of a family who believes they've been abducted by aliens for the benefit of humankind. "Larsen's Novel," on the other hand, was too drawn out to hold my interest all the way through and I found myself trying to skim forward. The final story in the collection, "Skull," is the most outrageous, although it is really about the simple need that everyone has to be loved and accepted for who they are. I liked this story, but I'm sure there are plenty of readers who would be very put off by the details within.

I enjoyed this collection of stories, but I will say that having heard Steve Almond read one of them aloud may have played a crucial part in my enjoyment of the book as a whole. He is an amazing reader, and being able to imagine his voice as I read each story added a dimension that I might otherwise have missed.(less)

like 1 like

· see review

Sep 18, 2009

Sandra rated it

This is a humorous collection that deals with a wide set of issues like love, death, and politics, with some historical fiction thrown in. Almond’s use of slang and colloquialism in the narrative give the stories a sense of accessibility, but left this reader feeling there is something missing from the narrative, some important emotional element. Not all of the stories feel this way; some are powerful and linger in the mind after reading them. The story, “I am as I am,” is one of these, a coming...moreThis is a humorous collection that deals with a wide set of issues like love, death, and politics, with some historical fiction thrown in. Almond’s use of slang and colloquialism in the narrative give the stories a sense of accessibility, but left this reader feeling there is something missing from the narrative, some important emotional element. Not all of the stories feel this way; some are powerful and linger in the mind after reading them. The story, “I am as I am,” is one of these, a coming of age story about a boy who accidentally kills another boy with a bat. And there is also “Summer, As in Love,” a tender and sad love story.

The language in these stories is more straightforward, less stylized, less wanting to be cool, which lend the narrative a serious hue that make the story wonderful. This decision makes me ponder the use of slang, witty and outlandish language in stories, and also for that matter, the easy talkative tone that many stories these days take. For the most part, if used in concert with a serious subject, this kind of language is amazing. I can think of Lorrie Moore as an example and Junot Diaz, whose street talk offers insight into the desperation of character or heighten the neurosis another character feels. That is not to say that witty language or clever descriptions are not necessary in a piece of serious work, but it needs to be balanced with the emotional weight of the story, which in my opinion, Almond fears getting next to.

In the title story, a woman slowly allows herself to fall in love, only to find out she’s been conned into loving the person, and then dumped. What makes the story entertaining is the narrator’s almost indifference to her lacking love life. When B.B. Chow apologizes for asking about her divorce, she thinks, “I don’t feel especially disappointed, though. I was married to a man who couldn’t operate a washing machine. I got out. The end.”

It is this kind of apathy that drives the story along. She slowly succumbs to B.B. Chow’s odd emotional sensitivity (he’s a doctor who cries), even despite his shortcomings, “Sadly, B.B. is not much of a kisser. He presses too hard, and he doesn’t know how to modulate the whole mouth-opening-tongue-moving-forward thing.” You accept the tone, and expect the story to finish on this note. That is why when she finally realizes B.B.’s been using the same lines on her as he has with other women, you expect a farcical remark that would show her anger and disappointment, instead of the serious prose that seems to come out of nowhere.

“I’m weary of moving through life in this way, punished for my capabilities, betrayed by the glib promises of love. I’m weary of managing these disappointments. I’m weary of my body’s gruesome tick. And I’m weary of telling women it can be different.”
I’m sorry, but boo hoo. If we had any clue that these were things she thought about or were hinted at, even from the narrator (who is first person), the weight of them would truly be felt.

The thing is, the stories feel like the author is holding back, but they’re still funny, full of great sentences like this one, “Self-deception, I’d told them, in my profound deeply feeling teacher voice, is the only worthy enemy.”

I just wish there was more than funny.
(less)

· see review

Oct 15, 2010

The Awdude rated it

It's always nice to find a writer who knows how to be funny. Being funny isn't easy. Especially when you're a writer, since writers tend to take themselves super seriously. But Almond does take his characters seriously, which is what really makes these stories good, because most of his characters could easily be diagnosed with a variety of psychiatric conditions. But their author isn't worried about classifying them. He doesn't want you to know them in terms of how they don't fit in or the ...more

· see review

May 08, 2010

Taylor rated it

· review of another edition

I had never heard of Steve Almond until a couple of weeks ago, and now I will read everything he has published--he just put out a new book about music. This is a collection of short stories, though, and it is really great. His command of voice is shockingly assured. All of the narrators/characters in these stories are wildly different and yet they all feel equally authentic. Some stories were definitely stronger than others--the title story, "I Am as I Am," and "The Problem of...more

· see review

Jan 28, 2011

Kaijsa added it

Shelves: short, stories

The stories here are really varied. I think I was expecting a theme to emerge, but there really wasn't one except maybe that all the stories dealt with relationships of some sort. One particularly strange one is "Lincoln, Arison," which is about a relationship between Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass. A page or two into it, I was really tempted to skip it, but I was drawn in by the characterizations of both men. A couple of pieces really didn't work for me, like "The Soul Mol...more

· see review

Mar 03, 2011

Zach rated it

This is an outstanding collection of stories. It starts out in the humorous, biting tone that Almond is best known for, but then it hits you, all of a sudden, with a couple really touching pieces, thoughtful and, dare I say, heartfelt. The story, "Lincoln, Arisen," is one of the best I've ever read. It's still stuck in my head days after reading it. It's such an original concept executed flawlessly, and it's probably the best example of Almond's versatility as a writer. The last t...more

· see review

Mar 03, 2008

Cherie rated it

Almond is a local 'celebrity' in my new town. He teaches at a well-respected university. How all this happened I don't know.

These short stories could have been written by any of his students. They are filled with stereotypes. I started to wonder about the author's life and his lifestyle. Does he HATE women?

In the book, you find a spinster at a woman's magazine with a flaming-gay assistant who says snarky, clever things. Sounds like Will & Grace! He's even called "...more

· see review

Dec 11, 2008

Ciara rated it

Recommends it for: short story enthusiasts?, i can't really say

Shelves: read-in-2007

another blank. i think this is a collection of short stories. i don't remember much beyond that. i will say that i have read some other steve almond stuff, & he's very competent & often very funny. i believe he teaches writing at boston college. so this book is most likely a collection of short stories that are written competently & designed to be mildly funny, & i seem to also recall that they are a little off-kilter in a poor-man's-jonathan-sfaran-foer-school-of-weird-characters way. you know?...more

· see review

Nov 29, 2009

Brandy rated it

Shelves: 2009, collections-anthologies, romance, adult

There are some stories in this collection that will stick with me forever, and others I'd forgotten almost as soon as I'd turned the page. But that's any anthology, really. Almond's writing blends quirky characters and situations with a certain sensitivity to how people think and react--it all sounds very real, and even the funniest bits are tempered with a bit of sadness when you recognize just how true the reactions are.

· see review

May 23, 2011

Sarah Etter rated it

even though the story "lincoln, arisen" left me a little cold, the rest of this collection was so damned good i couldn't take a star away. expertly narrated and structured - almond is a master of convincingly writing from the perspective of women, men, everyone. each story was tightly wound and left me feeling like i'd been punched in the face by a life lesson. adored this.

· see review

Mar 13, 2010

Zach VandeZande rated it

Steve Almond writes stories that are funny and powerful and generally involve putting a character in an extremely embarassing/sad/awkward situation, sometimes all at once. He often ends these stories in a pseudo-epiphanic way. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

· see review

Jul 13, 2009

Sonja rated it

Re-reading these stories tonight, I was reminded how much I enjoy the warped, interesting mind of Steve Almond. With The King of Pop recently buried, the story about Michael Jackson's ... "manhood" seemed topical all over again.

· see review

Mar 20, 2009

Debbie rated it

Book of short stories. They really aren't usually my thing, but since I never have time to read anyway, I may have to gain an appreciation for them. Anyway, Steve Almond is pretty cool shit. But, I just didn't get the Lincoln story at all. Seriously, wtf?

· see review

Jan 14, 2010

Timothy Faust rated it

"Summer, as in Love" is the king here, with "Larsen's Novel" in a close second. Then you've got "I Am as I Am," "Skull," and maybe "A Happy Dream." The rest were great, sure, but don't stick out in my memory.

· see review

Jan 25, 2012

Ilana rated it

Best short story collection I've read in quite a while. Steve Almond has a great way of incredibly humanizing every character he creates, despite their individual flaws and stories.

· see review

Jan 11, 2012

Kim rated it

Shelves: own

Great and imaginative collection of short stories by a fantastic writer. Cynical at times, and whimsical as well. Hysterically funny and sort of weepy too. I have to read it again to recall my first impression but I do remember it was a very good one.

PS: I met Steve Almond, who is a friend of the English professor and head editor of my college literary club. He came to read some of this (freshly published) book to us and to meet us all, and just an FYI: the guys pretty hot. I mean, rea...more

· see review

May 03, 2011

Michelle rated it

· review of another edition

at times laugh out loud funny and than some stories turn so heartbreakingly real. This is a great book.

· see review

Apr 25, 2011

Joe rated it

The rare collection of stories a reader can enjoy from cover to cover without it seeming repetitive.

· see review

Jul 30, 2009

Leah rated it

some good stories in here although i thought 'My Life in Heavy Metal' was more consistently enjoyable.

· see review

Mar 12, 2010

Jack Cheng added it

Some great stories here, although I have to admit they are not as funny or caustic as I was expecting (having heard Almond speak and having read some of his non-fiction). In fact, there is a lot of compassion in these stories of oddballs and weird relationships.

Recurring themes: literature and its discontents, sex and how it dis/functions, the sexual attractiveness of Chinese men. Maybe that last is why I liked it.

Seriously, lots of weird memorable characters and situati...more

· see review

Nov 30, 2007

Daniel rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: literature, short-fiction

Ah...another Steve Almond collection.

I really do enjoy this man's writing, though I don't think this collection was a strong as his earlier, My Life In Heavy Metal, collection. Still, it was nice to read some short stories that were intelligently written, and not ponderous.

It's hard to pick a favorite, though the title story is quite good. "Summer, As In Love" was good, but I wanted more resolution.

"Lincoln, Arisen," did not work for me. Fr...more

· see review

May 03, 2011

Marc rated it

· review of another edition

Great collection of short fiction, similar in many ways to the work of George Saunders (another favorite of mine!).

· see review

Dec 15, 2011

Kimmyh rated it

· review of another edition

A few of the stories here were very good, but, overall it was just an 'OK' read.

· see review

Jun 30, 2010

A.Jay Wagner added it

The Evil B.B. Chow and Other Stories by Steve Almond (2005)

· see review

Nov 29, 2009

Erin rated it

A great collection of short stories. A Happy Dream made my Top 5.

· see review

Jul 11, 2009

Stefanie rated it

So-so, was expecting more because I enjoyed Candyfreak so much.

· see review

Apr 30, 2010

Tuck rated it

crazy weird, uh, read in 2002, maybe. guess not, 2005.

· see review

Jun 22, 2009

Che Herrera added it

I loved these short stories. Good stuff.

· see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 17 18 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (2)

Genres

Short Stories

21 users

Adult Fiction

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers Also Enjoyed

About Steve Almond

Steve Almond is the author of two story collections, My Life in Heavy Metal and The Evil B.B. Chow, the non-fiction book Candyfreak, and the novel Which Brings Me to You, co-written with Julianna Baggott. He lives outside Boston with his wife and baby daughter Josephine.

More about Steve Almond...

Books by Steve Almond

Candyfreak: A Journey through the Chocolate Underbelly of America

(Not That You Asked): Rants, Exploits, and Obsessions

Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life: A Book by and for the Fanatics Among Us (with Bitchin' Soundtrack)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Pin It

Trivia About The Evil B.B. Cho...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: The Evil B.B. Chow and Other Stories
avg rating	preview: The Evil B.B. Chow and Other Stories Goodreads rating: 3.59 (389 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/89138.The_Evil_B_B_Chow_and_Other_Stories?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171147377m/89138.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/89138.The_Evil_B_B_Chow_and_Other_Stories?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Evil B.B. Chow and Other Stories by Steve Almond[/url]

The Evil B.B. Chow and Other Stories

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combine Other Editions (2)

Genres

Readers Also Enjoyed

About Steve Almond

Books by Steve Almond

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About The Evil B.B. Cho...

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (2)