13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tender and lyrical stories, May 4, 1999
After reading the first three chapters of "The Acorn Stories" , I knew that I wanted to purchase Simolke's book. I live in West Texas, the setting for this collection of fiction. On the Texas plains, any nuance in the landscape calls attention to itself, and Simolke's writing is rich with nuance: simple gestures, like the movements of hands or the flips and turns of a swimmer, can shape a story. The prose is spare and lyrical. Simolke treats his characters and their situations with genuine tenderness. I give "The Acorn Stories" five stars on the basis of its first twenty-five pages, and I look forward to sitting down with this book and enjoying the next two hundred pages.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Wide Variety of Personalities Awaits You, August 13, 2001
It was a real pleasure to read about the fictional town of Acorn, TX and get to meet all the different and varied people that Mr. Simolke so eloquently fleshed out. The many and varied voices with which he was able to assume to bring these characters to life made me wonder at times if he'd even transcribed recordings! He was successful in making me believe he was young, old, White, Black, Hispanic, straight, gay, male, and female. It is the mark of a truly talented author who has the ability to listen and look at a wide variety of people, then translate what he hears and sees of them onto paper--and successfully make me believe. And even though each of the vignettes was relatively short, I had a sense that I really knew each of the characters who was speaking or thinking. Mr. Simolke is an author one shouldn't ignore.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Review of Acorn Stories, August 30, 2002
The Acorn Stories
Duane Simolke
Review by Mountman
Picture a small town in West Texas. Acorn. The reason it's called Acorn is that it is the only town in West Texas that has a lot of trees. Yes, Acorn is a fictional town but after reading The Acorn Stories, I wanted to visit the place, just to check it out.
" "Welcome to Acorn, population 21,001, the Texas town with a little name and a big heart" - Sign marking city limits of Acorn" (taken from the book.)
Like the branches of the Main Street Oak tree, the town has just as many histories and legends. Each story gives you a glimpse into lives of the people of Acorn. Also how their lives are intertwined.
There are stories about the founding family, newcomers, the rich, the poor and in between. When I first started reading it I felt like I was left hanging. Just then, in Simolke unique clever style, things began to connect. Growing up in a small town I could relate to some of the characters. Duane gives you just enough details that you get a feel for where each of the characters are coming from. There are people that you like, some that you can't wait to see if they get theirs. Big cheers for when they do!
Ones that really grabbed me are Survival and Dead Enough. Survival is about a gay, deaf teacher. Dead Enough is about a writer of murder mysteries. I'm not going to give you any details because you will have to find out for yourself.
Whether you are an avid short story reader, or a novel reader this is a must read! So check it out.
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