Customer Reviews

The Imaginary Lives of Mechanical Men (Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found myself drawn in and intrigued by "The Imaginary Lives of Mechanical Men" - a complex and nuanced work. The author creates each tale as something of a mystery, requiring the reader to engage in the story in order to discover its meaning. Reading it does require some effort - no skimming pages in this one - yet I found myself completely engaged in characters drawn with utmost sensitivity. Nelson's characters face life-altering events which all of us face at one time or another - yet too often neglect to comprehend or analyze. The author's sensitivity toward his characters brings his readers to a deeper understanding of life, its depth, and its tragedies.

The 13 stories in this collection are the perfect size for me and my definition of short story reading: easily devourable in one short sitting.

What I am most fascinated about with Nelson's collection is the sheer variety of voices that he chose. We have men and women from a sundry of backgrounds and each drawn out in full, even if--at times--, some of the stories themselves leave me craving more. These are the voices of your average folk, for the most part, and a joy to read.

By far my favorite story in this collection is _The Cutters_. I was at first a bit thrown off by the use of several voices to create the story but the subject matter is so fascinating that I couldn't put the story down. To give you an example of the author's skill I will quote from my favorite story, "Sam finally shuts out the chaotic sounds and studies the other faces around him, finding the same plea. On an old man with stick-thin arms, a farmer perhaps, worn down by rock-filled fields. On a young woman, heavily pregnant and sitting along." And it goes on much further from there.

I definitely recommend this short story collection.