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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Taking Calculated Risks on Behalf of Literature,
By Bestbeast "Mr.666" (Key Biscayne) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Had a Good Time: Stories from American Postcards (Hardcover)
Mr. Butler continues to experiment with new ways of looking at the world, at the people who enhabit his world. He doesn't write simply to give us the same old same old. He is taking chances on behalf of his craft. AND he's still very much in control of his powers. HAD A GOOD TIME, though not a perfect book, is another attempt by the author to keep going, to keep surprising himself with possibilities, to give his readers something different. For that and much more he gets my respect. I recommend people read and enjoy this new book regardless of what I or anyone else in these little snippets say. In my book, Mr. Butler is a brave writer for continuing to write from where it counts, where it is still vibrant and exciting. Writing from his intellect and heart. It's a winning combination.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Masterful Creative Technique,
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This review is from: Had a Good Time: Stories from American Postcards (Hardcover)
In Butler's new book, he has created a new type of epistolary technique. He uses a news story and a postcard to introduce each of his stories. The concept of the postcard is further refined by showing the significant difference between life as it is, and life as depicted on the postcard.
First and foremost, the book is about America. Many of the characters are immigrants, coming to America for the first time. Many are not. But all meet the trials and tribulations of American life. And they write a postcard to someone they know and/or love. Yet that postcard is not in the least an accurate depiction of their life at that point in time. Butler deals with the physical, the spiritual and the concepts of life and death in a visceral manner. Some of his stories are about war. Others are about immigration. Still others are about the contrast between life and death. These are the same questions that haunt all of our minds. And through his stories, Butler gives us a perspective on all these things, in fact, a very American perspective. Butler is at his very best in the short story genre. He won his Pulitzer Prize for a terrific book of short stories. This one is no exception. It is highly recommended for all lovers of experimental modern literature, and those who love the short story genre, as these are some of his best.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Postcards from a muse.,
By Peppy Jane (Beaufort, SC) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Had a Good Time: Stories from American Postcards (Hardcover)
Mr. Butler has been visited by a divine muse. How else can one explain his inspired idea of writing the stories behind the antique postcards he collects? "Carl and I" and "The Ironworkers Hayride" are quite possibly two of the finest short stories ever written. The author is a master of this format and his book is a must-read for aspiring writers and postcard collectors.
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