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The Old Men Who Row Boats and Other Stories
In this collection of stories on love and loss, hopes and dreams, and memory and regret, David Joseph’s prose resonates in an authentic and convincing manner.
His writing possesses an ability to convey real emotion through compelling, simple language, human interaction, and small moments. The collection, which is set in the Iberian Peninsula, carries the weight of the author’s sincerity throughout.
In an effort to bind us as humans, the characters in these stories experience extraordinary moments within the confines of ordinary lives.
His writing possesses an ability to convey real emotion through compelling, simple language, human interaction, and small moments. The collection, which is set in the Iberian Peninsula, carries the weight of the author’s sincerity throughout.
In an effort to bind us as humans, the characters in these stories experience extraordinary moments within the confines of ordinary lives.
- GenresShort Stories
240 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 14, 2021
32 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
David Joseph
4 books2 followersDavid Joseph is a recipient of The Paul Cave Prize for Literature, Next Generation Indie Book Award, Independent Press Award, and other honors.
He is the author of four collections of short fiction, and his writing has been published in The Wall Street Journal, London Magazine, The Smart Set, Litro, and Rattle. A recipient of The John Henry Hobart Fellowship for Ethics and Social Justice, he has taught at Pepperdine University and Harvard University, where he received The Derek Bok Award For Distinction in Teaching.
In 2024, Readers Digest named his book I Didn't Know What To Say, So I Just Said Thanks as one of the 38 Best Short Story Collections of All-Time.
He is the author of four collections of short fiction, and his writing has been published in The Wall Street Journal, London Magazine, The Smart Set, Litro, and Rattle. A recipient of The John Henry Hobart Fellowship for Ethics and Social Justice, he has taught at Pepperdine University and Harvard University, where he received The Derek Bok Award For Distinction in Teaching.
In 2024, Readers Digest named his book I Didn't Know What To Say, So I Just Said Thanks as one of the 38 Best Short Story Collections of All-Time.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 6, 2021
3 "beautous when beautous" stars !!
Thank you to BookSirens and the author for an ecopy of this collection of short stories. This was released March 2021. I am providing my honest review.
This collection has become special to me. First of all because there are two exquisite five star stories that I will treasure. Second of all because we are planning a three month trip to Spain and Portugal where these stories take place. This will happen in two or three years. This planning has saved us from many moments of worry and despair during this pandemic. I have been to Spain twice (once for a few weeks in my youth and more recently just for a few days while we took Mediterranean cruise). Now that we are young retirees we are planning long stay travel. We want to do both Spain (top to bottom) and Portugal (where my partner has been but not I) and do it slowly and langourously and after our travel spend a winter month in the Azores. To dream oh to dream.
This book was very inconsistent in effect and artistry. It was interesting to note how the author's overarching style of tentative repetition could either make or break a story. Many of these stories I will simply forget but there are three stories that really took my breath away and elicited very strong emotional and aesthetic responses. These three stories will forever be etched in my mind (1 four star and 2 superlative five stars)
In my usual fashion I will name the story, rate it and a little tidbit impression:
1. The old men who row boats (3 stars) Madrid...an old man, rowboating and Picasso's Guernica
2. The Bullring (3.5 stars) a young man reflecting on his masculinity, his love for a much older woman and the meaning of buildings in Granada
3. The Gin Club (2 stars) I believe the intention was to be deep and melancholy but I found it forced and dull....takes place in Seville
4. The Cleanest Alimentation in Spain (2.5 stars) Chinese family running a variety store in Granada...idealistic and blatant
5. The Cliffs...(2.5 stars) Coastal Portugal...a repetitive meditative piece that does not quite work
6. A Good Listener (3.5 stars) Southwest Portugal ....a calm and precise bartender saying goodbye to his favorite customer...sad and tranquil
7. The Girl at the Chocolate Shop (2.5 stars) a young couple try and work through an important issue and life event in Granada... concrete and repetitive
8. Meditations on Cadiz (second favorite in collection...5 stars) a brilliant and immersive piece on a quick attachment to a city
9.Street Level (4 stars) a beautiful ode to Granada with a touch of bromance !
10. The Congested Waiter (1 star ) humblebragging, forced, dull
11. The Young Surfers of Southern Spain (3 stars) reflections of life on a beach in Southern Spain
12. The Trip (2 stars) memories of meeting up with an old flame...nothing original here
13. The Jeweller's Hands (3 stars) a woman's reflection on her chosen vocation and her mother
14. Lino (most favorite ....5 stars) a gorgeous and poignant tribute to Lisbon, taxi driving and a father
Stories 8, 9 and particularly 14 will forever be treasured by me.
Evening in Cadiz
Thank you to BookSirens and the author for an ecopy of this collection of short stories. This was released March 2021. I am providing my honest review.
This collection has become special to me. First of all because there are two exquisite five star stories that I will treasure. Second of all because we are planning a three month trip to Spain and Portugal where these stories take place. This will happen in two or three years. This planning has saved us from many moments of worry and despair during this pandemic. I have been to Spain twice (once for a few weeks in my youth and more recently just for a few days while we took Mediterranean cruise). Now that we are young retirees we are planning long stay travel. We want to do both Spain (top to bottom) and Portugal (where my partner has been but not I) and do it slowly and langourously and after our travel spend a winter month in the Azores. To dream oh to dream.
This book was very inconsistent in effect and artistry. It was interesting to note how the author's overarching style of tentative repetition could either make or break a story. Many of these stories I will simply forget but there are three stories that really took my breath away and elicited very strong emotional and aesthetic responses. These three stories will forever be etched in my mind (1 four star and 2 superlative five stars)
In my usual fashion I will name the story, rate it and a little tidbit impression:
1. The old men who row boats (3 stars) Madrid...an old man, rowboating and Picasso's Guernica
2. The Bullring (3.5 stars) a young man reflecting on his masculinity, his love for a much older woman and the meaning of buildings in Granada
3. The Gin Club (2 stars) I believe the intention was to be deep and melancholy but I found it forced and dull....takes place in Seville
4. The Cleanest Alimentation in Spain (2.5 stars) Chinese family running a variety store in Granada...idealistic and blatant
5. The Cliffs...(2.5 stars) Coastal Portugal...a repetitive meditative piece that does not quite work
6. A Good Listener (3.5 stars) Southwest Portugal ....a calm and precise bartender saying goodbye to his favorite customer...sad and tranquil
7. The Girl at the Chocolate Shop (2.5 stars) a young couple try and work through an important issue and life event in Granada... concrete and repetitive
8. Meditations on Cadiz (second favorite in collection...5 stars) a brilliant and immersive piece on a quick attachment to a city
9.Street Level (4 stars) a beautiful ode to Granada with a touch of bromance !
10. The Congested Waiter (1 star ) humblebragging, forced, dull
11. The Young Surfers of Southern Spain (3 stars) reflections of life on a beach in Southern Spain
12. The Trip (2 stars) memories of meeting up with an old flame...nothing original here
13. The Jeweller's Hands (3 stars) a woman's reflection on her chosen vocation and her mother
14. Lino (most favorite ....5 stars) a gorgeous and poignant tribute to Lisbon, taxi driving and a father
Stories 8, 9 and particularly 14 will forever be treasured by me.
Evening in Cadiz
April 11, 2021
3.5★
“Most people don’t drink gin in the morning. But old men, dressed impeccably, sitting together on plush sofas and chairs, can certainly drink gin in the morning.”
THE GIN CLUB is one of the fourteen stories in this enjoyable collection of short stories, a number of which have been published elsewhere. This particular story is about a group of old Spaniards who meet every Monday morning to sit in their particular spot in the club and drink whatever they like, as long as it contains gin.
The author gives a bit of back story on each of the men and how they happened to arrive at this point in their lives. Not a lot – just enough to get a feel for them. Part of the appeal of this story for me is that I know of an informal coffee group in Wyoming where the old cowboys used to meet up every (?) morning to drink coffee and talk about whatever old cowboys talk about.
We tend to think of men drinking at the other end of the day, so it was interesting to think of these old fellows starting their day with gin. They all reminisced about the people they had loved and lost, except for one man who had steadfastly held on to his bachelorhood and remained unattached to anyone. He has had the girlfriends, and he explain his position to his latest lady.
“‘Each Monday, as you know, I meet my friends at The Gin Club. We have known each other for many years, and it is my favorite day of the week. We never talk about anything painful or serious. The conversation is purposefully light, and we might discuss ‘fútbol or travel or gin or our favorite movies or the best flamenco guitarists. Of course, we reminisce about some of the times we shared in the past. We sit and laugh and tell lies like all old men, about the good old days when we were young men, capable of doing the things that young men do. But the weight is always there, down deep, and I can feel it each time we meet, almost as if it is gaining ground.’
‘The weight?’ said Anne. ‘What do you mean?’
‘The weight of their experiences. The richness. The weight of life’s loves and life’s losses. As I said, we have an unspoken rule never to talk about these things, and they wouldn’t dare. But they don’t have to talk about them in public in order for the weight to be felt. We aren’t the poker players we once were, and the spectacular pressure builds each week.’”
So the fellows turn to him for their light relief, you might say, his tales of romantic conquests and adventure. His is the story we follow a bit further as he begins to consider his choices.
All of these stories are based in Spain and Portugal, some told in the third person, as the one above, and some in the first person, by a father traveling with his family or living somewhere as an ex-pat American.
I liked THE JEWELER, about a mother and daughter who go on an outing to a shop to try on bracelets. The mother dresses them both up and takes her daughter to lunch where they behave with extremely proper manners.
“It was entirely different than the manner in which they led the rest of their lives, and it was almost as if they were setting out on a great adventure, away from the mundane quality of their daily lives, just the two of them, mother and daughter, inhabiting personas that didn’t really belong to them but were on loan for the day.”
At the end of the story, we see them many years later, in a similar shop, where the mother has dementia but still likes to try on bracelets. Lovely story.
The writing varies. Some of it flows smoothly and some sounds to me as if I’m reading a translation. I’m not sure why, but perhaps because some sentences are short or seem a little unnatural. I really liked the stories and kept wishing there had been one more good editor who had taken a crack at them to tighten up a few places or make suggestions.
There is so much in them, that it wouldn’t take a lot to bring these stories up to a higher standard, which is easy for me to say, since they aren’t mine! I did enjoy them all and thank BookSirens for the copy for review and the author for creating some memorable characters.
“Most people don’t drink gin in the morning. But old men, dressed impeccably, sitting together on plush sofas and chairs, can certainly drink gin in the morning.”
THE GIN CLUB is one of the fourteen stories in this enjoyable collection of short stories, a number of which have been published elsewhere. This particular story is about a group of old Spaniards who meet every Monday morning to sit in their particular spot in the club and drink whatever they like, as long as it contains gin.
The author gives a bit of back story on each of the men and how they happened to arrive at this point in their lives. Not a lot – just enough to get a feel for them. Part of the appeal of this story for me is that I know of an informal coffee group in Wyoming where the old cowboys used to meet up every (?) morning to drink coffee and talk about whatever old cowboys talk about.
We tend to think of men drinking at the other end of the day, so it was interesting to think of these old fellows starting their day with gin. They all reminisced about the people they had loved and lost, except for one man who had steadfastly held on to his bachelorhood and remained unattached to anyone. He has had the girlfriends, and he explain his position to his latest lady.
“‘Each Monday, as you know, I meet my friends at The Gin Club. We have known each other for many years, and it is my favorite day of the week. We never talk about anything painful or serious. The conversation is purposefully light, and we might discuss ‘fútbol or travel or gin or our favorite movies or the best flamenco guitarists. Of course, we reminisce about some of the times we shared in the past. We sit and laugh and tell lies like all old men, about the good old days when we were young men, capable of doing the things that young men do. But the weight is always there, down deep, and I can feel it each time we meet, almost as if it is gaining ground.’
‘The weight?’ said Anne. ‘What do you mean?’
‘The weight of their experiences. The richness. The weight of life’s loves and life’s losses. As I said, we have an unspoken rule never to talk about these things, and they wouldn’t dare. But they don’t have to talk about them in public in order for the weight to be felt. We aren’t the poker players we once were, and the spectacular pressure builds each week.’”
So the fellows turn to him for their light relief, you might say, his tales of romantic conquests and adventure. His is the story we follow a bit further as he begins to consider his choices.
All of these stories are based in Spain and Portugal, some told in the third person, as the one above, and some in the first person, by a father traveling with his family or living somewhere as an ex-pat American.
I liked THE JEWELER, about a mother and daughter who go on an outing to a shop to try on bracelets. The mother dresses them both up and takes her daughter to lunch where they behave with extremely proper manners.
“It was entirely different than the manner in which they led the rest of their lives, and it was almost as if they were setting out on a great adventure, away from the mundane quality of their daily lives, just the two of them, mother and daughter, inhabiting personas that didn’t really belong to them but were on loan for the day.”
At the end of the story, we see them many years later, in a similar shop, where the mother has dementia but still likes to try on bracelets. Lovely story.
The writing varies. Some of it flows smoothly and some sounds to me as if I’m reading a translation. I’m not sure why, but perhaps because some sentences are short or seem a little unnatural. I really liked the stories and kept wishing there had been one more good editor who had taken a crack at them to tighten up a few places or make suggestions.
There is so much in them, that it wouldn’t take a lot to bring these stories up to a higher standard, which is easy for me to say, since they aren’t mine! I did enjoy them all and thank BookSirens for the copy for review and the author for creating some memorable characters.
May 12, 2021
This collection of short stories it was really a wonderful experience for me.
I love almost all of them. Although they’re not the same yet there were themes connected to all of them. Seems like pain, loss and hope.
As an old man myself I was really excited about reading the book‘ title I didn’t joy it, but I did not enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the Girl at the Chocolate Shop.”
I am mot usually a fan of short story collections but this group was a winner.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I love almost all of them. Although they’re not the same yet there were themes connected to all of them. Seems like pain, loss and hope.
As an old man myself I was really excited about reading the book‘ title I didn’t joy it, but I did not enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the Girl at the Chocolate Shop.”
I am mot usually a fan of short story collections but this group was a winner.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 24, 2021
If you enjoy the romance of exploring new places and meeting new people, let this book whisk you away. Infused with a tone of thoughtful travel, each story beautifully captures the human experience: hope and joy, grief and sadness, friendship and love. Savor the stories individually or devour them whole; there's really not a wrong way to enjoy this lovely collection.
This would be the perfect read for your next getaway, or a gift for a friend who would prefer to explore the world from the comfort of their armchair. Best paired with a peaceful morning cup of coffee (or sangria at sunset).
This would be the perfect read for your next getaway, or a gift for a friend who would prefer to explore the world from the comfort of their armchair. Best paired with a peaceful morning cup of coffee (or sangria at sunset).
January 5, 2024
Not a huge fan of short stories, but some of these stories were truly 5/5. Author has a magical way to encompass a lot of emotions with very little buildup, but somehow feel satisfying. There aren’t any grand arcs or overall encompassing plot line that develops, but most stories feel satisfying.
I lost interest in some of the stories - hence the 4 - felt like listening to a full album by an artist, not every song can be a hit.
I lost interest in some of the stories - hence the 4 - felt like listening to a full album by an artist, not every song can be a hit.
August 4, 2023
This collection of stories by David Joseph has the Iberian Peninsula as background. Different regions and cityscapes in Spain and Portugal are introduced with meticulous care to create a brightly-hued tapestry vibrant with a sense of history, culture and the rough-and-ready (and sometimes compassionate) interplay between human beings. The author has the ability to make his characters come alive – complete with devastating losses, regrets, and the all too human yearning for the past or for those things that circumstances have put out of reach. They are people whose life experiences are sometimes less than ideal, but manage to find in themselves and in the wonder of the world around them enough reasons to endure and survive.
The termination of a pregnancy, the death of a child, and the problems of maintaining dignity and self-worth when you are a stranger in a strange land are some of the issues that the author addresses in these tales. Although always intriguing and certainly worth reading, I found some of the stories perhaps just a little too inclined towards sentimentality. This was especially true in the case of “Lino” and “The Jeweler’s Hands”. The best ones in my opinion were the title story (a delicately-rendered vignette concerning itself with profound themes, among others a pride in country, man’s inhumanity to man, and the contentment and acceptance that comes with old age), “The Cliffs”, “Street Level” and “The Girl at the Chocolate Shop”. The fact that Mr. Joseph is a poet implies his ability to conjure with words and this is very much in evidence with most of the writing in this volume.
I received a review copy from BookSirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The termination of a pregnancy, the death of a child, and the problems of maintaining dignity and self-worth when you are a stranger in a strange land are some of the issues that the author addresses in these tales. Although always intriguing and certainly worth reading, I found some of the stories perhaps just a little too inclined towards sentimentality. This was especially true in the case of “Lino” and “The Jeweler’s Hands”. The best ones in my opinion were the title story (a delicately-rendered vignette concerning itself with profound themes, among others a pride in country, man’s inhumanity to man, and the contentment and acceptance that comes with old age), “The Cliffs”, “Street Level” and “The Girl at the Chocolate Shop”. The fact that Mr. Joseph is a poet implies his ability to conjure with words and this is very much in evidence with most of the writing in this volume.
I received a review copy from BookSirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 17, 2021
"The Old Men Who Row Boats and Other Stories" written by the author David Joseph is a collection of short stories. These stories are set mostly in Spain. There are total 14 short stories in this collection.
First is the titular story "The Old Men Who Row Boats". Old men row boats in the morning hours at Retiro Park. This made them feel manly and it's a great physical activity for them to move their limbs. One of the men who row boats is Javier who lived in a small apartment near the Reina Sofía Museum. Javier had never married and had no children. His routine is to have coffee before rowing.
My favourite among the collection is "The Girl at the Chocolate Shop". It's a story about a tiny Chocolate Shop where people of different profession or age stop by. It is about the smile of a girl who works at the Chocolate Shop. There are many rumors about the reason of a girl's smile.
These short stories are unique and interesting. Characters of the stories are penned well by the author. If you are looking for a stress buster or something to enjoy in your short break, you could enjoy one story at a time. Language of the book is simple and cover photo is nice. I enjoyed all these stories as they have unique plot. I like to recommend it to short story lovers. Looking forward to read more such short stories by the author.
First is the titular story "The Old Men Who Row Boats". Old men row boats in the morning hours at Retiro Park. This made them feel manly and it's a great physical activity for them to move their limbs. One of the men who row boats is Javier who lived in a small apartment near the Reina Sofía Museum. Javier had never married and had no children. His routine is to have coffee before rowing.
My favourite among the collection is "The Girl at the Chocolate Shop". It's a story about a tiny Chocolate Shop where people of different profession or age stop by. It is about the smile of a girl who works at the Chocolate Shop. There are many rumors about the reason of a girl's smile.
These short stories are unique and interesting. Characters of the stories are penned well by the author. If you are looking for a stress buster or something to enjoy in your short break, you could enjoy one story at a time. Language of the book is simple and cover photo is nice. I enjoyed all these stories as they have unique plot. I like to recommend it to short story lovers. Looking forward to read more such short stories by the author.
July 14, 2023
I once heard that short stories are the hardest things to write, the limits on space while balancing the need for emotional depth. These short stories were some of the best I have read. Each one was a glimpse into someones life. We knew them, their hopes and dreams, we could hear their voices. I throughly enjoyed this collection, it was calming and pleasant, and a window into other lives.
My only reason for not giving this 5 stars is I wonder how memorable these are. They are amazing but I am not sure any of them will stick with me. But perhaps that is the best way, a glimpse into someones life as you drive past and remain strangers.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
My only reason for not giving this 5 stars is I wonder how memorable these are. They are amazing but I am not sure any of them will stick with me. But perhaps that is the best way, a glimpse into someones life as you drive past and remain strangers.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 18, 2022
We are proud to announce that OLD MEN WHO ROW BOATS AND OTHER STORIES by David Joseph has been honored with the B.R.A.G.Medallion (Book Readers Appreciation Group). It now joins the very select award-winning, reader-recommended books at indieBRAG.
November 2, 2023
This is a great collection of short stories set in Spain and Portugal. If you want to be transported somewhere, this collection is a great way to do it. Some stories are more successful than others, but I found them all pleasant enough. It’s a short and sweet and beautiful.
July 31, 2022
Audio from Hoopla Digital Very comfortable with Bramhall's narration
Those who enjoy Kent Haruf will find this work pleasing
Those who enjoy Kent Haruf will find this work pleasing
January 19, 2024
I loved these short stories. There was one I really wasn't a fan of but "Gin Club" made up for it. That story was my favorite. While living such a fast paced world with internet and endless streaming in my own real world, these stories focused on the slow life and it felt almost nostalgic and made me reflect on what's important to me and how I can slow my own life down.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews