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Hula Ville and Other Short Stories
Librarian Note: Alternate Cover Edition for ISBN 9781481733854.
In this collection of short stories, award winning author Mark Lages takes you on a page-turning romp through everyday existence in Southern California. You may find yourself crying, or perhaps even angry. But most often, you’ll be laughing out loud. With his sense of humor and imaginative plots, Lages brings the reader into the idiosyncrasies of his characters. His subjects range from mischievous school boys to elderly women, from retired aerospace engineers to harried housewives. No one is immune to Lages’ insightful takes on modern life.
In this collection of short stories, award winning author Mark Lages takes you on a page-turning romp through everyday existence in Southern California. You may find yourself crying, or perhaps even angry. But most often, you’ll be laughing out loud. With his sense of humor and imaginative plots, Lages brings the reader into the idiosyncrasies of his characters. His subjects range from mischievous school boys to elderly women, from retired aerospace engineers to harried housewives. No one is immune to Lages’ insightful takes on modern life.
- GenresFiction
336 pages, Paperback
First published March 21, 2013
2 people are currently reading
395 people want to read
About the author
Mark Lages
21 books311 followersQuickly...I was born and raised in California, but now live in South Carolina with my wife and our animals. I am neither a liberal nor a conservative. In fact, I despise politics. I think of myself as an artist, and not as a journalist. I've been influenced by Milton Friedman, Frank Lloyd Wright, Hunter S Thompson, Douglas Adams, Salvador Dali, MC Escher, JS Bach, Keith Jarrett, Vincent Price, Tom Waits, and many others. I like to smoke cigars and drink lots of coffee. And I do love to write. Lock me in a room with a box of cigars, a coffee maker, and a computer, and I will do just fine. Click here to leap to my website for more info about me and my books.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 22, 2017
This wonderful collection contains stories about the daily lives of people of various walks of life who live in Southern California. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys good short stories.
April 1, 2017
This was such a fun book to read. I loved every page. It was funny, sad, and everything in between. Thank you Mark for sharing your wonderful imagination with me!
I can't wait to read the rest of your books!
I can't wait to read the rest of your books!
May 28, 2019
I’ve always had a soft spot for novels and short stories with great openings. Each of these stories has a great opening -- a hook, typically with wonderfully evocative language and details that immediately transport you into the story. The author also keeps you engaged with a wonderful sense of voice and detail.
Many of the stories focus on middle age and regret. Solidly middle class, suburban concerns -- failing marriages, growing up, growing old, the little moments we take for granted. And yet, these concerns never feel worn out or trivial. There is a sweetness to each of these stories which manages to stop just short of being sappy or melodramatic.
Hula Ville, the title story, is a stand out in this collection. The story has a wonderful sense of imagery, mood, pacing, character. A perfect story about the desperation of middle age. A wonderful sense of tension. The dialogue and character voice are excellent. For me, this story captures perfectly the udder madness and futility of middle age and marriage and the longing for a simpler self.
“If I live to be eighty years old, I figure I will have clipped my fingernails over two thousand times. If each time I cut off an eighth of an inch, I will have clipped over two hundred lineal feet of fingernails by the time I die. Nearly a football field! And it isn’t just fingernails. It’s toenails and beard bristle and the haircuts I pay for; it’s bags full of lawn clippings and tree prunings, boxes full of weeds I’ve pulled and the rotten fruit I pick up that falls from the trees in our backyard. All this stuff keeps growing out of my body and my yard like some sort of preposterous nightmare.”
The short story Merry-Go-Round, for me, was a good example of how a short story could be about something very trivial and yet have profound meaning. Without spoiling the story, I’ll just say that we all have that one thing we wish we could overcome in our life, and that one thing may be trivial to others, but represent so much more to us.
If there is any complaint it is that sometimes the stories end too soon before all of the characters and the various plotlines have had a chance to develop. The stories may not always work as stories. Sometimes they work more as character sketches and vignettes.
As a writer, I understand that there is a particular logic to this. Many online markets and even print magazines will give you a better chance if you keep the word count low. Even when publishing something on your blog or website, you have a better chance of getting readers if you can keep things short. Usually under 1,000 words is the key to getting people to pay attention. That sometimes means finishing your story before it has a chance to really grow.
And that’s fine.
That is a small price to pay such wonderful stories.
Many of the stories focus on middle age and regret. Solidly middle class, suburban concerns -- failing marriages, growing up, growing old, the little moments we take for granted. And yet, these concerns never feel worn out or trivial. There is a sweetness to each of these stories which manages to stop just short of being sappy or melodramatic.
Hula Ville, the title story, is a stand out in this collection. The story has a wonderful sense of imagery, mood, pacing, character. A perfect story about the desperation of middle age. A wonderful sense of tension. The dialogue and character voice are excellent. For me, this story captures perfectly the udder madness and futility of middle age and marriage and the longing for a simpler self.
“If I live to be eighty years old, I figure I will have clipped my fingernails over two thousand times. If each time I cut off an eighth of an inch, I will have clipped over two hundred lineal feet of fingernails by the time I die. Nearly a football field! And it isn’t just fingernails. It’s toenails and beard bristle and the haircuts I pay for; it’s bags full of lawn clippings and tree prunings, boxes full of weeds I’ve pulled and the rotten fruit I pick up that falls from the trees in our backyard. All this stuff keeps growing out of my body and my yard like some sort of preposterous nightmare.”
The short story Merry-Go-Round, for me, was a good example of how a short story could be about something very trivial and yet have profound meaning. Without spoiling the story, I’ll just say that we all have that one thing we wish we could overcome in our life, and that one thing may be trivial to others, but represent so much more to us.
If there is any complaint it is that sometimes the stories end too soon before all of the characters and the various plotlines have had a chance to develop. The stories may not always work as stories. Sometimes they work more as character sketches and vignettes.
As a writer, I understand that there is a particular logic to this. Many online markets and even print magazines will give you a better chance if you keep the word count low. Even when publishing something on your blog or website, you have a better chance of getting readers if you can keep things short. Usually under 1,000 words is the key to getting people to pay attention. That sometimes means finishing your story before it has a chance to really grow.
And that’s fine.
That is a small price to pay such wonderful stories.
February 13, 2017
An interesting collection of over 30 short stories. The stories range from as little as 2 pages to around 15 pages so they are perfect to read when you don't have a lot of time to spare. Most of the stories seem to share a common theme which is characters that are not entirely happy with how their lives have turned out. The humor used throughout the book keeps the stories entertaining.
My favorite story was the Matterhorn which is about a daughter and her elderly mother standing in a long line to ride the Matterhorn. I also loved the ending to Gift. All in all, I was impressed with the author's ability to tell a meaningful story in so few pages.
I received a free copy of this book and that is my honest review.
My favorite story was the Matterhorn which is about a daughter and her elderly mother standing in a long line to ride the Matterhorn. I also loved the ending to Gift. All in all, I was impressed with the author's ability to tell a meaningful story in so few pages.
I received a free copy of this book and that is my honest review.
August 14, 2017
Mark Lages ability to entertain with his short stories is evident in Hula Ville.
Reading about the places I grew up in Orange County, California, made a special connection.
My favorites were 'Sugar' and 'The End'. Sugar was sentimental about a cop coming home after a successful suicide and appreciating the life he has more than ever. And 'The End' reminded me of the movie, 'Defending Your Life', with Meryl Streep and Al Brooks where the recently-deceased are made to review their lives.
The stories may hold a lesson, or not. Some are light and some stay with the reader long after the book is put down.
I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys short stories. Take the book along with you for times you have a few minutes; some of the stories are quite short (2 pages).
Reading about the places I grew up in Orange County, California, made a special connection.
My favorites were 'Sugar' and 'The End'. Sugar was sentimental about a cop coming home after a successful suicide and appreciating the life he has more than ever. And 'The End' reminded me of the movie, 'Defending Your Life', with Meryl Streep and Al Brooks where the recently-deceased are made to review their lives.
The stories may hold a lesson, or not. Some are light and some stay with the reader long after the book is put down.
I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys short stories. Take the book along with you for times you have a few minutes; some of the stories are quite short (2 pages).
January 31, 2017
I really enjoyed reading these stories. Sometimes they had a lot to say about life, and sometimes they were just very amusing. When I was done with the last story, I wanted more. Easy to read and a lot of fun.
February 24, 2017
I’ve always enjoyed reading short stories and have a large collection of short story anthologies all over my apartment. Writing a story that lasts for only 10 pages or so isn’t as easy as some would think. You have to get thoughts, ideas, and emotions condensed into these few pages while still getting the reader to identify with it all. Not all writers can do this. Stephen King, in my opinion, writes some of the best short stories around and now I’m going to add Mark Lages to my list of solid storytellers.
In “Hula Ville and Other Short Stories” Mr. Lages gives readers close to 40 short tales that have a similar theme, being happy and how to obtain and keep it. Okay, in some of the stories you have to really look for the theme but it is there especially in the story, “Merry-Go-Round.”
In the very first story, titled “Hula Ville” a man is waiting to see if he’ll be admitted to a mental hospital. The police found him on the side of the road doing the dance “The Twist” created by Chubby Checker back in the 1960’s. As he speaks to the doctors who will determine if he will be admitted to the facility or not he explains what led up to his dancing. I understood it all and the reasoning behind the man’s actions made sense to me. The end of the story shows how the character’s explanation to his roadside dance got through to one of the doctors.
Every story was interesting and written intelligently but my favorite, without a doubt, was “Natalie’s Bathroom.” I don’t know why it affected me as strongly as it did. I was never in the situation that the main character, April, was in but somehow and for some reason I identified with her pain, loss, and anger and how she felt about her changed life.
As I was thinking about this story I thought that the author couldn’t possibly have gone through what the character in “Natalie’s Bathroom” went through but maybe he has in a different format. Did he ever have the same situation that April was thinking about at some point in his life? I don’t know but the fact that I spent so much time wondering about it showed me how good a short story writer Mr. Lages is.
Some of the stories you really have to think about and some are rather funny and/or odd but all are going to stay with you for quite some time.
“Hula Ville and Other Short Stories” is definitely a wonderful anthology for short stories lovers and for those who might never have read a short story anthology and would like to try one.
Find all my reviews at https://sharonreadsblog.wordpress.com/
In “Hula Ville and Other Short Stories” Mr. Lages gives readers close to 40 short tales that have a similar theme, being happy and how to obtain and keep it. Okay, in some of the stories you have to really look for the theme but it is there especially in the story, “Merry-Go-Round.”
In the very first story, titled “Hula Ville” a man is waiting to see if he’ll be admitted to a mental hospital. The police found him on the side of the road doing the dance “The Twist” created by Chubby Checker back in the 1960’s. As he speaks to the doctors who will determine if he will be admitted to the facility or not he explains what led up to his dancing. I understood it all and the reasoning behind the man’s actions made sense to me. The end of the story shows how the character’s explanation to his roadside dance got through to one of the doctors.
Every story was interesting and written intelligently but my favorite, without a doubt, was “Natalie’s Bathroom.” I don’t know why it affected me as strongly as it did. I was never in the situation that the main character, April, was in but somehow and for some reason I identified with her pain, loss, and anger and how she felt about her changed life.
As I was thinking about this story I thought that the author couldn’t possibly have gone through what the character in “Natalie’s Bathroom” went through but maybe he has in a different format. Did he ever have the same situation that April was thinking about at some point in his life? I don’t know but the fact that I spent so much time wondering about it showed me how good a short story writer Mr. Lages is.
Some of the stories you really have to think about and some are rather funny and/or odd but all are going to stay with you for quite some time.
“Hula Ville and Other Short Stories” is definitely a wonderful anthology for short stories lovers and for those who might never have read a short story anthology and would like to try one.
Find all my reviews at https://sharonreadsblog.wordpress.com/
March 14, 2017
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway, so thank you very much to the author! This is a collection of short stories, all of which describe a small part of life of regular people. I have read about a half of the book, but had to stop. I am not officially DNFing it the just yet, but it is definitely not the book that I would focus on exclusively. I might read a story here and a story there, but will be moving on to other books.
The author has a very pleasant-to-read style. It is straightforward and easy. However, many of the stories are basically internal monologues, written in very long paragraphs that didn't always hold my attention as much as I would have liked.
The stories can be very relatable. All of them are about regular people experiencing very real problems that many real-life people and families can experience. The author does an excellent job capturing small samples of everyday life and presenting them as they are. I am sure that many readers - specifically, adults, as the collection is not a book for very young people - will be able to relate to one or more of the situations and characters.
The biggest reason that I find it hard to read only this collection without any other book - and I prefer to read only one book at a time normally - is that all of the stories that I have read so far are quite depressing. The blurb on the back cover promises some stories that will make the reader cry or think, but mostly laugh. After 149 pages, I have yet to crack a smile... The basic idea of the stories is that growing old is not fun, being alone is not fun, growing old alone is not fun at all, yet growing old together is not fun either, as your family begins to bore you. The author seems to subscribe to Tolstoy's idea that "all happy families are alike" and thus only the unhappy ones deserve to be written about.
While each individual story is realistic, when you read one after the other, they begin to sound quite pessimistic about life, and pessimistic in similar ways. Moreover, while I enjoyed the author's style, the exact same style appears in all of the stories and thus all characters sound exactly the same. Maybe, the short story genre is a little too limiting and the author would be able to explore, develop, and individualize his characters more in a longer work.
I am sure that this book will have readers that will truly enjoy it, but this is not a book for me at the moment.
The author has a very pleasant-to-read style. It is straightforward and easy. However, many of the stories are basically internal monologues, written in very long paragraphs that didn't always hold my attention as much as I would have liked.
The stories can be very relatable. All of them are about regular people experiencing very real problems that many real-life people and families can experience. The author does an excellent job capturing small samples of everyday life and presenting them as they are. I am sure that many readers - specifically, adults, as the collection is not a book for very young people - will be able to relate to one or more of the situations and characters.
The biggest reason that I find it hard to read only this collection without any other book - and I prefer to read only one book at a time normally - is that all of the stories that I have read so far are quite depressing. The blurb on the back cover promises some stories that will make the reader cry or think, but mostly laugh. After 149 pages, I have yet to crack a smile... The basic idea of the stories is that growing old is not fun, being alone is not fun, growing old alone is not fun at all, yet growing old together is not fun either, as your family begins to bore you. The author seems to subscribe to Tolstoy's idea that "all happy families are alike" and thus only the unhappy ones deserve to be written about.
While each individual story is realistic, when you read one after the other, they begin to sound quite pessimistic about life, and pessimistic in similar ways. Moreover, while I enjoyed the author's style, the exact same style appears in all of the stories and thus all characters sound exactly the same. Maybe, the short story genre is a little too limiting and the author would be able to explore, develop, and individualize his characters more in a longer work.
I am sure that this book will have readers that will truly enjoy it, but this is not a book for me at the moment.
January 15, 2020
It was nice to take a break from the norm and just read a bunch of stories that were separate from one another. I didn't have to keep track of main characters or the plot. This book if short stories was so refreshing.
Like the elderly man who said he would read all kinds of books when he retired but now all they did was make him dizzy. His whole world revolved around his wife and now that she has passed away he does not know what to do with himself.
Or the siblings comparing their children to one another. How spoiled they are and how undisciplined they are. How if their dad was alive he would straighten the kids out. Extremely sad because the parents cannot do it for themselves. Timeout does not work.
We were brought up with stern hands and rules. We did not get away with stuff.
Kids have become so disrespectful. They are mooching off their parents at the age of 21-30. Parents paying for their apartments, food, utilities and other things. Then getting outraged when the parents won't do more or they cut them off.
I loved the story about body odor. I laughed so hard...
Like the elderly man who said he would read all kinds of books when he retired but now all they did was make him dizzy. His whole world revolved around his wife and now that she has passed away he does not know what to do with himself.
Or the siblings comparing their children to one another. How spoiled they are and how undisciplined they are. How if their dad was alive he would straighten the kids out. Extremely sad because the parents cannot do it for themselves. Timeout does not work.
We were brought up with stern hands and rules. We did not get away with stuff.
Kids have become so disrespectful. They are mooching off their parents at the age of 21-30. Parents paying for their apartments, food, utilities and other things. Then getting outraged when the parents won't do more or they cut them off.
I loved the story about body odor. I laughed so hard...
March 24, 2017
Hula Ville is an interesting collection of short stories with a wide variety of perspectives and topics. Probably my favorite selection was the The End which fittingly is the final entry. Definitely recommended reading. The book now goes to Tess' Little Free Library and will have adventures of its own.
November 29, 2017
This is exactly what a collection of short stories should be - something to grab and read. I received this early in the summer and because of life, had to put it aside for a bit. Oh man, some of these characters!!
January 25, 2018
*Goodreads giveaway winner, free*
This book of short stories took me by surprise. A lot more dark and twisted than I first imagined - plus the cover does no justice (in my opinion). While I enjoyed most of the stories, for some reason I just kept putting it down. I was not excited to read more.
This book of short stories took me by surprise. A lot more dark and twisted than I first imagined - plus the cover does no justice (in my opinion). While I enjoyed most of the stories, for some reason I just kept putting it down. I was not excited to read more.
March 31, 2019
An eclectic mix of short stories. Some shorter and some longer, all entertaining. Mr. Lages has a way of making me see every detail in my mind, almost like watching a movie. Another good read, can’t wait for the next one.
March 24, 2017
I received this book as part of a giveaway from goodreads. I enjoyed this collection of short stories very much. The stories are based on everyday situations that can happen in anyones life. With that being said , these stories will bring a smile to your face if not make you laugh. I will definitely be passing this book on to friends for them to enjoy too.
March 3, 2017
This collection of short stories was a great trip to read. Very few of them ended the way I expected and the last one made me happy. That one line, "Because I'm not Mexican food" was the best line I've ever read.
Bravo, Mr Lages. I can't wait to read more of your works!
Bravo, Mr Lages. I can't wait to read more of your works!
February 16, 2017
A fresh breath fun! This is a great collection of stories that will make you laugh and think. Not all are humorous but this is a very entertaining book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I won this book in a GoodReads Giveaway.
Want to read
February 21, 2017Loved all the stories in the book, very interesting topics and being 10 stories in 1 book kept my curiosity going about what was next. Think this is a winner.
July 3, 2017
Welcome to Hula Ville and Other Short Stories by Mark Lages.
As indicated this book is a volume of short stories. The author has an easy-to-read, smooth, clear and clean writing style. He has no trouble setting the scene and finishing the story within a mere ten pages. They are the perfect length for reading to wind down right before bed. His stories are snippets of everyday life. Some have expected endings some do not, and some just seem to edge toward a pinnacle but then they hit a brick wall. So, I can safely say, I enjoyed a few of the stories, was bored by a few of the stories and was irritated by a few of the stories.
I was given a free copy of this book to review.
As indicated this book is a volume of short stories. The author has an easy-to-read, smooth, clear and clean writing style. He has no trouble setting the scene and finishing the story within a mere ten pages. They are the perfect length for reading to wind down right before bed. His stories are snippets of everyday life. Some have expected endings some do not, and some just seem to edge toward a pinnacle but then they hit a brick wall. So, I can safely say, I enjoyed a few of the stories, was bored by a few of the stories and was irritated by a few of the stories.
I was given a free copy of this book to review.
February 12, 2017
Mark did a great job on his short stories, and all of which I enjoyed reading. He covers all types of topics and if I had to pick a couple of my favorites they would be "Naked Women", "Prank" and "Things". I won this great book on GoodReads and like I do with most my wins I will be paying it forward by giving my win either to a friend to enjoy before adding this one to my library.
January 5, 2021
This is a great collection of short stories. It made me laugh and cry at the same time. It was like a breath of fresh air and nothing like I have ever read before. It was such a fun and entertaining book to read. I highly recommend it.
April 11, 2017
Mark Lages has a wonderfully unique and interesting perspective on life. This is my third book by this author but first group of short stories. He seems to see inside his characters minds and we can see our own frustrations in any number of them. We rarely know the endings and sometimes they just end. To me, there was also a certain sadness or wistfulness about these peoples lives. The characters come in all shapes, sizes and ages. If you are a short story affectionado I think you will enjoy these stories.
April 16, 2017
I won a copy of this book.
So many short stories! They were all really good, but I especially loved "Natalie's Bathroom" and "Batman". Those stories really struck a cord with me. I highly recommend this book.
So many short stories! They were all really good, but I especially loved "Natalie's Bathroom" and "Batman". Those stories really struck a cord with me. I highly recommend this book.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews