Customer Reviews

The Last Flight of Jose Luis Balboa

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

 

 

I bought The Last Flight of Jose Luis Balboa on a friend's recommendation and happy I listened.

I'd had other books of short stories and find they are generally hit or miss. This one is a hit, then another hit, then another, etc... I can certainly see why he won an award for this collection, it's great!

Barr has great character development, a thoughtful imagination, good structure and a wonderful delivery. Really great stories, one after the other.

The day the book arrived, I opened it to have a look and just kept reading. It's one of those! This book jumpped the queue on my bedside table from day one. And, it makes excellent bedtime reading, one lovely story per night (if you can put it down between stories). Perfect, perfect, perfect. Well done Gonzalo Barr!

Great stories with the true flavor of Miami and South Beach cultures yet grounded in classic literature.

I took the time to read Gonzalo Barr's captivating collection of short stories on the recommendation of my dear brother and I was very glad I did. This is the type of book that you cannot put down until you are done reading at least one short story each night. His storytelling skills are magnificent and the clarity and fluidity of his characters' colloquial dialogue and picturesque settings transport you to the times when we were born free and with no "real" responsibility except for the quest for adventure and good times. Some are hilarious and other stories can be surreal. Stories that let you relish in the authentic essence of Miami and South Beach at its best. In sum, c'est magnifique, Mr. Gonzalo Barr!

I read this book and found it to be well-written and interesting. The stories are unusual and populated by eccentric and very flawed characters that are nevertheless sympathetic and even endearing to the reader. This is the hallmark of character development and skill in the craft.

I only reached the end of this boring book filled with poorly written, zero-interest "stories" because I hoped, in vain, that I would find at least one that was worth reading. I loath throwing books away and, if I don't keep them, I either pass them on or give them to the local library. This one has gone directly to the recycle bin, lets hope it doesn't give the pulp mill indigestion.