Slant Rhyme

by Jeffrey Stoker

Following his debut in Metaphor magazine, Jeffrey Stoker delivers a captivating collection of stories that demonstrates his range and versatility as an author. Using rich, eloquent prose, Stoker deftly explores the concepts of greed, faith, and loyalty, as well as the dangers that arise from human desires left unchecked. The result? A work as unsettling as it is unpredictable, as fresh as it is poignant. This collection introduces a new master of the short story.

240 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2015

Reviews

[Alan]

I was pleased to have won this book in a recent Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

I am not usually fond of reading short stories, as I am often left disappointed. This was not the case with 'Slant Rhyme'. It was a well written book and I do hope to read more by this author. Recommended.

[Texjim]

Jeffrey Stoker provides the reader with an assortment of ten very strange short stories. They include three stories about looser men with unnatural attractions or revulsions to specific female attributes. Two of the characters are also writers and the author integrates the creative struggle into the fabric of storyline with some interesting success.. Another deals with the seductive placebo-like effect of our desperate need to believe that our greatest disappointments are actually untrue. In another a independent, very goth young woman moves to the city against the advice of her small town family. She scoffs at their concerns and revels in her self-sufficiency. However she is harried by a straight-laced looking stalker. In the end by accident or perhaps by design, she is deprived of her security and her persona. There is a 35 page tale of an disaffected, OCD, loner trying desperately to improve his social chances by hot waxing off his back. A sweet old lady tour guide, merrily putters along while leading her bus tour through France when an apparition suddenly threatens her precise tour schedule. That just won't do! Another socially unsuccessful man pretending to be a struggling writer turns the tables on a predatory female saleswoman. In another tale a somewhat devious middle aged woman sets her sights on an aging TV hero of hers only to find she is more a very flustered "Aunt Bee" and not really in control at all. The final story describes a parasitic relationship between an adolescent bully and his quiet friend.

For the most part the stories are clearly written with the author sometimes assuming an "everyman" or "ombudsman" role adding details and commentary for the reader. In one story the flipping back and forth left me somewhat confused until the conclusion of the story. The author seems fascinated with the disaffected failures among us and spins really off-center tales that simply could not happen to most normal people. They remind me of really seedy versions of the Jack Lemon and Sandy Dennis in "The Out of Towners". The stories all have abrupt endings somewhere between O. Henry and Rod Serling. Nothing uplifting here, just a sober look at the bizarre. At the end of each story, you could easily insert "Submitted for your approval" This is a good read for those who enjoy things ironic and a little out of the ordinary.

[Ms. Reader]

I received this book from Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review....

I'm often not fond of short-stories, and especially not fond of a large collection of short stories. I primarily enjoy reading novels and very few short stories have been able to captivate my interest. This book was not the case.

It will beautifully written, well put together, and each story is intriguing and unique. The author does an incredible job keeping your interest high. This book is a decent page-turner, that I strongly recommend. I was not disappointed.