Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting and thought provoking short stories, July 23, 2008
I wasn't really sure what to expect with Notions, I purchased it mainly to support a new author and in the hope rather than expectation that it would be good.
What I found surprised me in a very pleasant way. Notions is a highly engaging series of vignettes, generally in the 5-7 page range, that sweep the reader through a wide variety of situations and the people found there.
I initially picked the book up late one evening with the intention of reading one or two of the stories, just to get a feel for the book. Instead I got hit by the 'popcorn effect' (gotta read just one more): continually giving in to reading just one more story despite promising myself that each one would be the last for that evening. Thankfully it's not a long book, but still I lost several hours of sleep that first night.
The power of these stories is that the author focuses on a series of slightly unusual or dramatic situations and leads you through each one without resorting to pretentious language or literary devices to describe it. As an example, one of the stories is set in a bar in Germany in the early 1930's - five friends are meeting for a beer after work and initially have a very normal conversation about the work day, the attributes of a barmaid etc.. A familiar scene for anyone who's ever been in a bar. Then the story moves along to discuss one of the mens closest friends who has joined a new political group, known for big public rallys and big promises. Several of the men are very doubtful this new party can achieve anything, but the new policital convert just mentions that Germany is in such a mess through the mismanagement of the Weimar government, that any politicians working for progress has to be an improvement.... Interesting perspective to explain how national socialism became such a big force and how so many ordinary well meaning people could get caught up in it.
Another features a mother dreaming about the life of her son and all the things he's done on the road to becoming a young man. I won't spoil this one for you, but it is a powerful story - and more so for the emotion that comes out of the imagination that defined the scenario than the writing that brings you there.
For me, the magic of these stories is the ability of the author to imagine a scenario and describe in an interesting way so that the drama of the story is clearly laid down over the course of a few pages.
If I had to nit pick, there were two things that could annoy some readers. One, there were a few typos in the copy I got...not enough to confuse the reader as to the meaning of author but there are a few scattered here and there. The second is that the author occasionally assumes familiarity with pop culture icons in Ireland. I spent quite a few years living in Dublin, so I didn't find it to be an issue, but others might. For example, there is one story that if you don't know who Pat Kenny is, the reaction of the protagonist is much less understandable.
Overall? A decent first effort. If you like your literary entertainment in bite sized chunks that make you think, I suggest you take a look at Notions.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Imaginative and Compelling: You WILL Enjoy It, July 23, 2008
From sad and forlorn melodrama to exotic science fiction parables, Colin Fox does a job at including something almost every reader will appreciate. The first section of the book, The Human Condition, contains heart-breaking stories about loss and overcoming it. Innocence lost, life lost, freedoms lost.
"Shattered in Munich 1923" takes its reader to the unlikely viewpoint of supporters (and naysayers) of the blooming Third Reich in Germany, post World War I. Though difficult for us to imagine now, there was a time that this Socialist party gave its followers great hope of a brighter future. Fox delivers us there with grace and poise, adding humanity to the oft-demonized persons who were the Nazis.
With little effort the story that finishes section 1, "Partners", somehow fits easily alongside "Shattered". Fox's characters here, Shelly and Matt, a child and adult who've been thrown together as parent and daughter through circumstances out of their control, nearly step out of the page and into the room, their humanity so compelling and natural.
Section Two: A Sense of Wonder, draws the reader into a completely different place. From imagined beginnings of the animal kingdom in "The Monkey Gospels" to the Alan Moore-styled strangeness of "The Shaman of North County Dublin: Volunteer" the reader is made to stretch the boundaries of imagining imagination. In what may be the best work in the book (certainly one of the most unique), "The Diary of Georgina Hope", Fox leaves you asking "What just happened?" when the story is complete. The story challenges you to challenge it to defy its own logic, all the while weaving a sad hopefulness that allows you to realize it was all for the best. If none of that made sense, don't worry, it will after you've read the story.
"Notions" is a relatively easy read, but with stories that invite multiple visits to pick up the details you missed the first time. Though fraught with typographical errors the book is a real page-turner, each story unique from the previous. You won't regret your purchase here and odds are that this first printing will be worth something to collector's of Fox's works many years from now. Such is he destined for.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good friend of mine., August 30, 2008
Colin is a good friend of mine and I think he did a great job on this collection of short stories.
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