Review of The Beautiful Wishes of Ugly Men by Adam Prince

I'm a big fan of short stories, from way back. Flannery O'Connor was my first great love. Until I'd read her, I did not know what a short story could do. How it could affect me.

So, I was searching for a collection of short stories to read, something done recently, by a writer who might affect me the same way, and I stumbled upon this collection by Adam Prince, The Beautiful Wishes of Ugly Men.

Some of these stories worked really well for me, others not so much. Some read like a vignette, or a tableau, not a fully formed story. But that's ok. That form can still work, when the writer's craft carries the form. And that's what happens here, mostly.

But don't believe the quote by Ellen Gilchrist on the cover of the book about this collection: "Woman can learn more from these stories than from thousands of issues of Cosmopolitan." Ladies, *don't* read this book to "learn" about men! Because these stories are not about "average" men. Anything but. What we have here is a collection of (mostly) misfits, outsiders looking in, and some trying to fit in. Others not.

There are a few stories here that are quiet, simple, purposeful reveals of humanity. These are little gems, for me, and include "Island of the Lost Boys" and "Tranquility."

Adam Prince has a gift for being able to use words to get to places few writers can. Recommended for those who enjoy the quirky side.

I hear he's working on a novel now. That will certainly be on my "To Read" list.

I liked it:
3/5 Goodreads
4/5 Amazon