Customer Reviews

Safety of Objects

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

In a series of skillfully constructed short stories, A. M. Homes has unveiled with great élan the frightening underside of suburbia. The characters run the gamut from a disappointed pedophile to a lascivious obese girl, from a responsible mother gone wild on a weekend away from her children to a teen boy who becomes strangely attracted to his sister's Barbie. However, revealing any more about these stories would be unseemly, as the degenerate twists are part of their seductive powers.

Despite the shocking premises, the basic situations and feelings evoked are often universal - making this book a somewhat uneasy read. The reader does not want to identify with these characters, but Homes, with laser-like precision, forces the reader to just such apperception. Reading "Safety of Objects" left me alternately paralyzed with laughter and oddly nauseous - a true mark of genius! This book is the first I've read by Homes, but I'm already eagerly anticipating the next.

A.M. Homes has painted a dark and bizarre picture of suburbia, knocking down that whole fantasy of how the suburbs are pure and clean. She has put together a twisted collection of stories that are subtle, outrageous and downright disturbing. This is not an easy read for those who have weak stomachs or are extremely sensitive. However, if you're looking for something a little more darker and sinister, "The Safety of Objects" just might be the thing for you.

When you think of "suburbia," you think of somewhere that is safe, quiet, boring and normal. These stories take place in a neighborhood that could very well resemble somewhere where YOU live. The truth is that this "normal" neighborhood is contaminated with bizarre behavior and unbelievable stories. There's the couple who decide to do drugs when their kids are away from home. There's the kid who was abducted by a kidnapper, only to end up being a big disappointment to the abductor. There's the mother with the son that is in a coma after a car accident, and she doesn't know what should be done. And let's not forget about the little boy who has an extreme obsession with his sister's Barbie doll. These are only some of the stories you will uncover in this unrelenting and unapologetic read.

Homes has a great way of getting straight to the point without using any extra or unnecessary words. Her writing reminds me a little of Raymond Carver, only more twisted and graphic. She's able to create some very interesting and creepy characters without having to give you their complete life story. While there are some stories that I like more than others, I found myself enjoying the entire book. Just when I thought I had read some pretty twisted and disturbing stuff, I started to realize that I hadn't seen nothing yet after I started reading this book.

I cannot stress this enough; this is NOT recommended for those who are extremely sensitive and get offended easily. These stories are dark, graphic and unforgiving. Some stories aren't as extreme as others while there are some that'll make you feel downright guilty for reading. I had a hard time reading some of these stories, but A.M. Homes' craft is done so well that you can't help but continue reading. People who like Chuck Palahniuk are bound to get a kick out of these stories. My favorite stories in this collection are "Looking for Johnny," "Jim Train," "The Bullet Catcher," "Esther in the Night," and everyone's favorite cult classic, "A Real Doll," which is the funniest and most deranged story in the entire collection.

"The Safety of Objects" is a humorous and chilling read that you will have a hard time forgetting. It's great to see something that is supposed to be viewed as innocent such as "suburbia," and see it transformed into something much more sinister and terrifying. If you're a fan of the short story and aren't afraid to venture into some of the darkest and tragic corners of fiction, then this is something you should consider picking up. I will never forget these stories. They are forever imprinted into my brain. -Michael Crane

"The Safety of Objects" is a great book! It introduced me to A.M. Homes and now I am addicted. This book in particular, is so rich and luscious with naughty details that you know you should not be reading about (or enjoying) that it glues your eyes to the pages. They are dense-poetic stories that leave me feeling like I know the characters - in only a matter of pages. In some instances - the stories were so realistically told - that I felt the heat of the summer - or new exactly what the character was feeling. Anyway - all I can say is that this book lead me to read "Music for Torching" which is a REAL account of suburban life (more than any other) that is also naughty but true and then to "Jack" which was a little less interesting. A.M. Homes novels are like a piece of candy that is Ruby Red, very sweet, sometimes sticks to your teeth, but makes you crave another. Pure indulgence.

This is a very well-written, very disturbing collection of short stories. Reading this book felt like finding a partially decomposed bird or squirrel on the fringes of a child's playground. The stories are dark. One of the cover reviews said they were witty; I didn't agree. Homes has tremendous talent. I was just repulsed by her characters.

If you're into exploring the seedy underbelly of suburbia, this is the perfect book for you. If you'd rather be transported to a pleasant place when reading fiction, find something else.

This early collection of short stories published in 1990 is the third A.M. Homes's books I've read. She's a daring and provocative writer, who pushes the envelope until the reader cringes. And as I read these stories I was very aware that they were just the foreshadowing of her later "The End of Alice" and "Music for Torching." .

She writes about a distorted surreal suburbia, where people are obsessed with sick fantasies. In one story she humanizes a Barbie doll, and the descriptions of the abuse of the doll and a young boy's mastabatory experiences with it are chilling. In another story she describes a young boy in a coma. And in yet another, she introduces the vacant and disturbed suburban couple who she later develops in "Music for Torching." The stories are short and seem not completely finished. Instead they look like little slices of life, or writing exercises as A.M. Homes developed her craft. She's an uncomfortable writer to read. She rubs her readers' faces in muck, forcing us to look directly in the sewer of human behavior. It's a perverted and twisted journey into the American dream.

I should be ripping her work to shreds, warning people about staying away. I should have certainly stopped reading her work after I read her first book. And yet, there's something about it that appeals to me as it jars me out of my complacency about the world around me. I therefore recommend her work for the adventurous, but if you're looking for comfort, you won't find it here.

The Safety of Objects is a character driven collection with mostly inconsequential plot lines. If there is one downfall to the collection it would be the occasional inexplicable ending to a story. However, A.M. Homes pulls it off with her rich characterizations that become their own form of suspense and tension. It is as though she has exposed all of your suburban neighbors' quirks and inner conflicts and laid them out on the table for you to digest. This book has everything from drugs to masturbation.

This is one of the best collection of short stories I have ever read. Having lived in the suburbs I can relate to all these stories. This is the second book by Ms. Homes that I have read after "The End of Alice", and it was quite different. Very much enjoyed and highly recommend it.

This is not a typical book about a standard American suburban families! The characters in Safety in Objects are odd and disarming. The stories are dark, the language sharp and the dialogue is crisp. A.M. Homes has written tales that are bound to become cult classics. My favorite stories are "Slumber Party," "A Real Doll," "Adults Alone," and "Jim Train." As said earlier, these are not stories about conventional families in rural America. These stories will make you think and perhaps even offend some readers. This is not for the faint at heart. Holmes is a fantastic writer and I look forward to reading more work by this author.

If you want to read a good book --- read Safety of Objects. But, if you cannot confront the world of suburbia that exists on the other side of the white picket fence, this book is not for you.

Sarcastic, witty, and disturbingly truthful --- A.M. Holmes's book of short stories is a compelling comment on today's society, particularly suburbia. She explores life in the American suburbs, sexuality, and body image. Beneath the sometimes bizarre tales are messages about the desire we have to do what society expects of us (have a family, live in the suburbs, get a good job) and the dissastisfaction that is felt when we learn that what society tells us to desire is not what we truly want.

I was compelled to read all of these stories all the way through. The same way I read "The End of Alice" or "Asylum" by Patrick McGrath, I was drawn in by the seemingly everyday subject matter, twisted to the point of it being unrecognizable. But, I couldn't help but be struck by the pure mediocrity of "The Safety of Objects." It seemed to me that these stories may have well be jotted down on cocktail napkins, not given much thought. AM Homes has, I think, a lot of talent, and it's too early in her career to use the same tired trick over and over, as she's done here.