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	<review id="13629005">
    <user id="803946">
    <name><![CDATA[Donna]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Berkeley, CA]]></location>        
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  <id type="integer">2094156</id>
  <isbn>1934513032</isbn>
  <isbn13>9781934513033</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">46</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">15</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Breaking it Down</title>
  <average_rating></average_rating>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2094156.Breaking_it_Down</link>
<author>
  <id type="integer">950112</id>
  <name>Rusty Barnes</name>
  <ratings_count type="integer">101</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">26</text_reviews_count>
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    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[people who enjoy well-crafted, thought-provoking flash fiction]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Jan 26 10:32:57 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Jan 26 10:34:35 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[As I read—or more accurately, devoured—Rusty Barnes’ collection of flash fiction, I couldn’t help thinking of an exquisite Japanese Buddhist meal with its a tray of tiny dishes, each serving up a tidbit of austere, perfectly-crafted, and ultimately enlightening fare. Fresh images and elegant prose make a bracing contrast to the gritty and all-too-real characters who populate these brief tales. Often unable to inarticulate their desires and despair, they ultimately do find the strength to do “what needs to be done” as the title of the opening story suggests. I was particularly impressed with the exploration of sexuality in many of these stories. Adultery, partner-swapping, disappointed housewives taking out their frustration in the arms of visiting handymen—Barnes pierces through the clichés to touch the tender, wounded heart of erotic desire. My only problem was that I found myself racing through the stories to find out what happens next and finished the book all too quickly. This is one of those rare dishes indeed—a literary page-turner. Fortunately, this is a book that will only get better with repeated readings.]]></body>
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