Customer Reviews

Return of the Dittos

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

 

 

A collection of short stories, "Return of the Dittos" by author Dale Andrew White will have you laughing with each page turn. Each tale within is only a few pages long, providing the perfect break to an otherwise monotonous day. There are even a few surprises that may throw you off when reading. With both light and serious (sort of) content, you will find yourself reading just one more each time you intend to close the book for the night. I know I did.

After reading the first story, I was a little confused as to how the book flow would go, but after the second the writing style becomes clearer, and easier to follow. My personal favorites were `The Labors of Peon', which tells the tale of young Adam Peon and his self led revolt of the bag boys from Dixie King; also, `Little Birdie', in which you will have a rather interesting discussion with your own inner narrator. A must read for those needing a quick chuckle break...happy reading!
Return of the Dittos

Dale Andrew White is very strange, dark and kind of "pervy" (in a good way!) . And we are so lucky that he is! This book, Return of the Dittos, is a collection of short stories. Be careful where you read them, because if it's in public, people around you will wonder about your sanity. I read it while waiting for my Dad to finish a doctor's appointment. I can't tell you how many times I realized I was laughing (actually snorting in a ladylike way) way too loudly. I know I got more than my share of stares, worried glances, and those looks you get from people who are watching to see if you are someone harmful.

His writing style varies from old school storytelling to broad satire, to rather bawdy and definitely R rated . The subjects of his 20 short stories are as varied as one can imagine. From the catfighting world of the junior leaguers, to lowly boxboys at the local grocer, to family life at it's most hilarious. There is something here for everyone, and it's all rowdy, raucous and fun. Whoever would think we could laugh at the end of the world? And I certainly didn't know the revisionist humor that was the voyage of Christopher Columbus.

Showcasing his variety of storytelling, I actually found myself tearing up with sentiment, not laughter, at one story. The Author of Moe Howard Died for Our Sins has done it again.

It's a Wild Ride, and nobody does the driving any better than Dale Andrew White!

Short story anthologies often bring a variety and freshness that novels can't quite match. "Return of the Dittos: And Other Short Stories" is a new collection of stories from acclaimed short fiction author Dale Andrew White. A unique assortment of stories, each as entertaining as the last, "Return of the Dittos" is a collection that short fiction lovers must get.

Undoubtedly, this is the funniest book I've picked up in a long time. Return of the Dittos by Dale Andrew White contains a variety of short stories that will lighten anyone's mood. I found myself laughing so hard tears started to trickle down my face. These short stories are filled with the most imaginative characters anyone would ever hope to meet. The author clearly has an ingenious sense of humor and timing.

My favorite story has to be " The Simpkins Revelation". It continues a character by the name of Beatrice Simpkins who has to be the most hilarious character the author could have thought up. She reminds me of a cross between Lucy Ricardo, the mom from "Leave it to Beaver" and Anna Nicole Smith. She has absolutely, no clue. You tend to feel so sorry for this character and her antics that you can't help but to shake you head and laugh. And laugh, I did - right to the very end.

I would recommend this book to anyone who's a fan of hilarious, laugh hardy, satirical short stories. You couldn't make a better choice. This book will definitely put a smile on your face.

The short story genre has always been a difficult one for me to settle in to. Simple because by the time I am settling in to a story, it's over. It's a difficult thing to write effectively, and I suspect even more difficult to read when one is used to the normal, long-form novel.

Dale Andrew White has crafted a collection of tales that captured my interested and held it fast through each of the 175 pages. From the Bagboy Liberation Army of The Labors of Peon to the quiet unassuming Miss Mona Darner in In Lieu of Flowers this collection is resplendent in characters you will identify with, laugh at, sympathise with, cheer for and more than anything else recognise.

There are highs and lows of course, some stories will hit the mark and you'll catch yourself laughing out loud. Others are interesting but land a little wide of the humour mark, but this doesn't mean they still aren't enjoyable. And after all, humour is very subjective. While some rest heavily on satire, there is a fair sprinkling of puns throughout, as well as a smattering of social commentary hidden beneath a thin veneer of silliness.

The style of White's writing slips from narrative to reporting in some tales, and regularly switches from first to third person. If you take each story as a piece in its own right, and perhaps read one at a time, or in short bursts the issue noted by other reviewers of `flow' is dealt with fairly easily. This isn't a book to sit down and read cover to cover, but rather to visit with cups of coffee, at lunch, on the bus. If you can prevent yourself from laughing out loud that is.

This is my first opportunity to read any of Dale Andrew White's work, his previous offering Moe Howard Died for our Sins was very well received, and I'm sure this offering will be too. There is no doubt in my mind that White is a natural born storyteller, the 20 short tales within Return of the Dittos (and other stories) confirms that.

These short stories by Dale Andrew White (D.A.W.) are pretty good. But as I read through them, I can't help but wonder: what would David Foster Wallace (D.F.W.) have done with these ideas? I can't help but to make the answer: they would be more coherent, have a stronger purpose in the arc of the book, and would be a level above in wit. Some the stories, such as "On the Road with Confederate Thunder" feel as if they begin abruptly and end even more abruptly as if we get the joke, let's move on shall we?
This happens to fit into my lunchtime regimen of short stories on my Android, but I really don't have an overwhelming urge to read or finish, and may soon get another Kindle ready novel.

I don't know. I found this book really hard to read, and not formatted well. It seems like it was put together and sent in without much effort put into making all the links work properly. I have to admit, these things distracted me. Maybe I'm too harsh. I think the author could charge a little less.