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Reflections in Blue Water and Other Stories
A collection of ten short stories that reflect on different aspects of life, from the heartbreakingly familiar to the strangeness that often defines our existence.
114 pages, Paperback
Published June 25, 2020
About the author
Richard Bist
11 books8 followersRichard Bist has been writing professionally for over twenty years. His fiction and poetry have appeared in a variety of publications, including Crossed Genres and Space and Time magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 26, 2021
Richard Bist’s Reflections in Blue Water is an absolute success! Literally every sentence kept me reading; every story pulled me in and held me tight until the end. The sceneries – a luxurious party, a laundry facility, a mansion – appear full of life and subtle tension right from the beginning. Bist is a master of the short story who perfectly understands its power. Creating a zone of comfort for the readers, he writes in such a manner that the main characters are slowly forced out of their everyday life into a life-changing event, so that the readers are willingly following them to the exact same spot in which the main characters find themselves after all is said and done.
Carver, Cheever, Marquez… Bist’s influences are notable, but not on-the-nose obvious. He stands in a great tradition and demonstrates how contemporary short stories reflect the state of the art: Fast-paced, tight-knit, and most of all insightful.
After the title story I was already convinced to go on, however, I still had reservations after the reading sample. Would it be too bloody American? Would it be too kitschy with settings also used in B-movies? No and no. Certainly the narrations are American on every level of analysis, but the events are drawn from life. Fictional, yet believable. Larger than life, yet truthful.
This collection is a hidden gem. Last Rites made me furious, Restorations had me dreaming, and A Game Of Chess left me with a heavy case of wanderlust.
Great book. Highly entertaining!
Carver, Cheever, Marquez… Bist’s influences are notable, but not on-the-nose obvious. He stands in a great tradition and demonstrates how contemporary short stories reflect the state of the art: Fast-paced, tight-knit, and most of all insightful.
After the title story I was already convinced to go on, however, I still had reservations after the reading sample. Would it be too bloody American? Would it be too kitschy with settings also used in B-movies? No and no. Certainly the narrations are American on every level of analysis, but the events are drawn from life. Fictional, yet believable. Larger than life, yet truthful.
This collection is a hidden gem. Last Rites made me furious, Restorations had me dreaming, and A Game Of Chess left me with a heavy case of wanderlust.
Great book. Highly entertaining!
July 25, 2020
I loved this collection of short stories. They're different than Bist's other collection, Dark Journeys, but just as well written. I found myself enjoying "Reflections in Blue Water and Other Stories" at a slower pace because I wanted to feel the unique mood each story possessed. The author packs so much emotion into the stories that each feels complete in its own way.
The first story, "Reflections in Blue Water," was my favorite, likely because I'm someone who responds to water and nature imagery. For some reason, my mind envisioned a Mad Men type party as the setting for this tale. Only, in this case, the main character has a much better resolution than Don Draper. I also especially enjoyed Game of Chess because of its atmospheric quality. Isabella and Cristo had so much tension brewing between them that I felt the energy sparking up from my Kindle, which I assure you was not experiencing an electrical shortage. Another one of my favorites was Spring Mourning. That one brought tears to my eyes.
I highly recommend this collection for those who want a well written collection of humorous, wistful, and sad-but-beautiful stories.
The first story, "Reflections in Blue Water," was my favorite, likely because I'm someone who responds to water and nature imagery. For some reason, my mind envisioned a Mad Men type party as the setting for this tale. Only, in this case, the main character has a much better resolution than Don Draper. I also especially enjoyed Game of Chess because of its atmospheric quality. Isabella and Cristo had so much tension brewing between them that I felt the energy sparking up from my Kindle, which I assure you was not experiencing an electrical shortage. Another one of my favorites was Spring Mourning. That one brought tears to my eyes.
I highly recommend this collection for those who want a well written collection of humorous, wistful, and sad-but-beautiful stories.
July 14, 2020
This collection of ten stories were a mixed bag. Several had characters with a military background, and many dealt with death and age. I felt that a few were a bit short, ending before I was ready for them to. For me the best story was about two brothers attending a funeral. I found there was truth in it.
Marriages and memories are fragile and the author comes across as having life experience behind his words. Some of the stories had twists (Some of which I saw coming, others were less obvious). It was a quick read and the stories were mostly enjoyable and interesting glimpses into a larger world.
Marriages and memories are fragile and the author comes across as having life experience behind his words. Some of the stories had twists (Some of which I saw coming, others were less obvious). It was a quick read and the stories were mostly enjoyable and interesting glimpses into a larger world.
September 12, 2020
I wasn't sure what rating I would give when I started reading the book. I was a fan of the first collection of short stories, which was more weird and bizarre. This were more realistic kind of stories.
But the further I got through the book, reading story after story, the more I became captivated by them. Of course there were some who didn't interest me as much as others. But even in these the author's voice was clearly recognizable. He has mastered his way of writing stories. I laughed, got confused and cried. What more could you want from a book?
But the further I got through the book, reading story after story, the more I became captivated by them. Of course there were some who didn't interest me as much as others. But even in these the author's voice was clearly recognizable. He has mastered his way of writing stories. I laughed, got confused and cried. What more could you want from a book?
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews