Customer Reviews

Bad Monkey

5 star:		(2)
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This is the third Curtis Smith book I've read and he continues to impress me with his sort of fearlessness of approach. Some stories are tender ("Neighbors", "What About Meg"); some address brutality ("Marik the Rapist"); some are very funny ("Bad Monkey"); but they all share a sense of wonder about the possibilities of being alive, expressed in artful prose that impresses because it fits its subjects, and is not trying to show off or be superficially arty. At its best, the language is part of the wonder. Highly recommended.

I rarely want to give a highly public endorsement for a book on amazon, but this book merits one. I've read Smith's shorter pieces online and loved them, but was taken by surprise at the depth and inventiveness of his longer work. Very few writers can depict a moment or sensory observation as he can. And each story is an exciting new journey into his creative, imaginative worlds and his characters' machinations. Writers can learn a lot from Smith. "Girl in the Halo" is one of those stories I'll never forget and will revisit again and again.