A Quick Kiss of Redemption and Other Stories

by David Means

A young American couple in Spain becomes entranced by an adolescent beauty while their marriage falls apart, and a young man comes to terms with his deceased uncle's homosexuality in this collection of short stories

Genres: Short Stories

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

David Means is an American short story writer and novelist based in Nyack, New York. His stories have appeared in many publications, including Esquire, The New Yorker, and Harper's. They are frequently set in the Midwest or the Rust Belt, or along the Hudson River in New York.

Reviews

[Glen U · Rating 2 out of 5]

The reason I decided to read this book is, one, I enjoy short stories and two, I just finished reading David Mean's "Hystopia", which was long listed for the Man Booker prize. His style of writing intrigued me and I wondered if this earlier volume of short stories was anything like his novel. This collection of short stories deals with human relationships and delivers a message of disappointment and separation between people. Dealing more with what keeps people apart, the tone is poignant, ironic and somber. Unfortunately, none of the stories were memorable. All were written well and the message Mean's was sending come across quite clearly, but nothing stood out for me or wowed me. After finishing the book, I was just left with a feeling of inevitability and disappointment. Perhaps someone else could get more out of this book, by I could not.

[Kevin Gallan]

27/192