Customer Reviews

Pronto! Writings from Rome

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Pronto! Writings from Rome--This collection of eclectic stories is reading entertainment at its best. From the first page to the last, each story taps into some of today's best writing talent. By the time you finish reading this collection of stories, you will feel like you have been right in Rome. This is a great read.

Pronto! Writings from Rome is a collection of short stories that make you feel as if you are there ... you can share the romance of the characters, setting, storyline. My favorite is "Steps". It is about a women we can all identify with... too much in a hurry to stop and smell the roses. The lesson she learns from strangers in a far away place speak quietly to her heart, calling out the person she truly is. Each piece is unique to itself; an enjoyable read!

Contributions from 38 writers who attended a workshop in Rome, mostly short stories, but two poems. They vary in quality, length, and subject matter. Most (but not all) are set in Rome. They are somewhat like stories that I sometimes write if I am in the mood, and tend to be short shorts (some just a couple pages). The slick magazines are gone, along with many pulps, and there is little market for short stories. The volume produced greatly exceeds the available page space in literary magazines, but sometimes there are anthologies.

The collection is worth acquiring for something that can be read at leisure to sample different authors. I would note that I acquired a copy used that was authographed by one of the authors (I won't say which one) and inscribed to a friend - it made me think of the poem "Odette" by Robert Service.

Compiled and edited by John Tullius Pronto!: Writings From Rome is a unique and enthusiastically recommended selection of stories, essays, and poems all written by a gallery of distinguished contributors expressly by special request and on location within the boundaries of Rome. Embodying the ancient city of Rome in verse, majesty, sensory impressions and more, Pronto!: Writings From Rome is an impressive, moving and diverse offering showcasing dozens of literary snapshots into the life and lore of this great center of European and World history. Whether you are an armchair traveler who enjoys well crafted travelogues or are planning your own personal trip to the Eternal City, you will enjoy reading Pronto!: Writings From Rome.

This collection of very short stories from, for the most part, fledgling authors, is really quite impressive. In "Little Jewels," we are shown views of an unhappy marriage and a husband's indiscretion through the eyes of the family dog. A devastated woman tries to come to terms with the loss of her mother, and becomes reacquainted with the beauty in life thanks to an "Angel on a Bicycle." A "One Night Stand" in a hotel in Rome turns out to be a most intriguing experience - one that is both painful and pleasurable for a lonely spinster. In "The Invisible Necklace," angels help a woman rid herself of three self-imposed burdens: Exile, Enslavement, and Exploitation, and her thoughts of suicide, as well. A novice writer takes the criticism of her poem and turns it into one of the most skillfully crafted pieces in this book, which I highly recommend.

Exceptional writing with a combination of reality and fantasy that makes you wonder. I especially enjoyed the ending. The whole story has a "twist" that you never even see coming. Bravo!

This is an incredible collection of works by highly accomplshed writers--The "science of writing" meets the "art of humanity" in an entirely unique forum...I was very pleased with the purchase. I particularly enjoyed "Torn" by up-and-coming author, Kathleen Antrim. I am waiting for her novel to be released this month, "Capital Offense." John Saul has, again, outdone himself in his excellent work.