Hiding Out [Paperback]

Jonathan Messinger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2007

Hiding Out is a collection of hilarious, sparkling stories about people avoiding the consequences of their poor decisions. A jilted lover dresses as a robot to win back the heart of an ex-girlfriend. A man builds a time machine to embrace the identity he always denied. Playful and empathic, these misadventures feature lonely hearts failing terribly to make a connection.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Time Out Chicago books editor Messinger has a few gems sandwiched between predictably sardonic musings on failed relationships and poor life decisions in his debut collection. The opening piece, Captain Tomorrow, expertly captures a mixture of teenage summer malaise and a hint of innocence lost, but it's not until several stories later, with the man-eating wolf farce Not Even the Zookeeper Can Keep Control, that the reader encounters something other than recycled humor. Ironic kookiness seems to be the order of the day: a child with a large head gets stuck in a fence; there's a machine shaped like a large ear of corn and known as The Hummingbird; and there are several hidden stories wedged into the text. Scattered throughout are hints of Messinger's talent, and these are found in stories that explore burgeoning teen sexuality—notably One Valve Opens and The Birds Below. The familiar-feeling patina of self-consciousness will turn off as many readers as it hooks. (Oct.)
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Review

Many stories are inventive and fun...there are undertones of the influential George Saunders. Like Saunders, Messinger deftly walks the thin line between sentimentality and absurdity. But there also are deeper, richer stories. -- Omaha World-Herald, September 9, 2007

Messinger's stories are aching, not bleak, and the collectionis fun, engaging, and a bit more than thought-provoking. A fresh, spot-on debut. -- Booklist, September 15, 2007

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Product Details

• Paperback: 183 pages
• Publisher: Featherproof Books (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977199231
• ISBN-13: 978-0977199235
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #758,370 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars IndieReader Review, January 9, 2012

By 

Amy Edelman - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hiding Out (Paperback)

"Hiding Out", by Jonathan Messinger, is a collection of stories within a story, a collection of thoughts and ideas within one prevailing concept.

Waysun Tsai is in love. He lives in his dreams, hazily moving through his factory job in China, waiting for the lunch break when he can be with her, or for after work when they walk to the bus stop together. The women of his dreams, Li Wei, runs through Waysuns mind every moment, and as he imagines himself saving her from a group of thugs, or winning the lottery and going on vacation with her, Waysun gets closer to understanding that they will never be together. With half of the tale taking place in his head, Waysun captivates the reader, which is surprising, considering that the story is only nine pages long.

With each of its 15 chapters depicting a different short story, "Hiding Out" does an impressive job connecting each tale, not through characters or storyline, but through a message. By writing 4-20 page stories on anything from teen angst to growing up, each and every narrative fills the reader with a sense of helplessness, and a flashback to a moment where one understands that life is unfair, that the many surprises it holds are rarely desirable. Although the message seems bleak, Messinger manages to send it in style, making each read clever, funny and real.

With stories ranging from man-eating wolves, to an inner-city student competing in a slam poetry competition, the author touches on all walks of life, writing how he feels, in whatever way he chooses to do so.

Reviewed by Josh Heaps