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The Chest That Launched a Thousand Slips and Other Stories by [Frank Meronk]

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Frank Meronk

The Chest That Launched a Thousand Slips and Other Stories Kindle Edition

by Frank Meronk (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.3 11 ratings

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"Insightful...consistently profound..."— Kirkus Reviews

Ten pieces of interlocking short fiction that taken together describe a world of longing and regret, plotting and connivance, happiness and heartbreak, where imitation and flesh trump authenticity and essence. Offers up a thrilling assortment of strong characters and prickly situations imagined to their extremes, thought-provoking and sometimes quirky contemporary short fiction that delves into the secret lives and longings of the plastic people.

Blending realism with the fantastic, the stories range from hilarious to disturbing, orderly to twisted, proper to profane. Look beneath the typical clichéd personas and into a super-charged fictional world of beauty surgeons and their most challenging and eccentric clientele as they struggle not only with self-image, relationships, deeper meaning, and aging, but even more so with each other if not themselves.

The ten stories feature a head-backwards person, an MIA body snatcher, a patient on a crashing plane, a medical entrepreneur out to remake the very definition of beauty, a frustrated cosmetic surgeon's wife, an out-of-control robotic eye surgeon, the human soul, and two teeth.The title story is a modern-day retelling of a Greek myth of two powerful and stubborn men battling over the fate of one alluring but conflicted woman.

While the medical details are for the most part accurate, these are not tales about the ins and outs of plastic surgery but rather the ups and downs of the human condition. Plastic surgery plays a supporting role—a common element that provides coherence and continuity to a diverse collection of one-of-a-kind characters, styles, and storylines.

Print length

208 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publication date

June 4, 2018
File size

1344 KB
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Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The world of cosmetic surgery brims with outlandish patients and eccentric surgeons in this debut short story collection...insightful...consistently profound medical tales." -- Kirkus Reviews 
"I just finished reading 'Amazon' and 'The Ten Year Old Head'. Both are, at the same time, wonderful and disturbing."-- A.C., a film producer inquiring about movie rights 
"Stories about plastic people...if you're into that, then this is for you. 'Informed Consent' clocks in at under one hundred words but manages to sum up the heart of a relationship, putting new meaning into an old saying." -- The Short Story Reader 

About the Author

Frank Meronk, a graduate of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is an author and former oculoplastic surgeon. He has published three collections of literary short stories that delve into the super-charged fictional world of beauty surgeons and their most challenging and eccentric clientele. His first novel, Lucky's Last Theory, is forthcoming. Born and raised in California, he and his wife reside along the state's central coast.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07B8JB9B8
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Plastic People Press (June 4, 2018)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 4, 2018
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1344 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 208 pages

Customer Reviews:
4.3 11 ratings

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Frank Meronk

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A graduate of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Frank Meronk is a physician who in the dead of night sandwiched between long days of surgery managed to author three medico-scientific thrillers over two decades using a nom de plume. As if in reaction, there followed an immersion in postmodern literature after which his tastes drifted away from genre fiction. With writing voice honed and plenty of practice under his belt, he has since published three volumes of literary short stories that delve into the super-charged world of beauty surgeons and their most challenging and eccentric clientele. His latest effort is Lucky's Last Theory, an epic tragicomedy exploring mind, memory, and the catastrophic loss thereof.

Born and raised in California, he and his wife reside along the state's central coast.

Author contact: meronkfrank(at)gmail(dot)com

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5

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RinnyC

Intriguing Short Stories

Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2018

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I love short stories and it's been a long time since I've read a collection of them by the same author. Meronk has an interesting perspective that I don't really have a comparison to, so that alone made these stories fun to read. His satirical look at society is sometimes dry, but always sharp and witty. His take on transformation, whether it be physical or mental, is insightful and unique. Short stories are a difficult thing to master since you have to build characters and plot lines in a short amount of time and words, but Meronk seems to have it down. I love reading a book where you end up being really intrigued by the author as a person, to know more about their life to see how their "voice" and perspective came from. I definitely got this with this book. I'm looking forward to reading more of his short stories.

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sophie clark

A Wonderful Collection of Literary Short Stories

Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2018

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This witty and thought-provoking collection of literary short stories by Frank Meronk explores ideas of physical and mental transformations made through surgery (for patients and/or doctors). This book also cleverly dives into the emotional, social and ethical consequences of such transformations. Meronk has a wonderful way with language and characterisation. He also demonstrates extreme skill with the short story form. Some readers stay away from literary short stories, fearing they will be boring and ponderous. This definitely isn’t the case with Meronk's work. Meronk’s tales are highly readable and I found myself speeding through the stories. I was particularly drawn to the tales that veered into the dreamy and speculative; Meronk impressed me with how he juggled so many different tones with care. I really look forward to reading more of Meronk’s work in the future as his short stories are some of the most memorable I’ve read in a very long time.

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Victoria Whitebread

Humorous, poignant and heartfelt

Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2018

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As someone who has worked in the medical field, I personally understand the raw connection and emotions you can feel when working with patients and the vulnerability and inevitable trust you experience as the patient, so perhaps that gives me unique perspective on Meronk's short stories that speak to me deeply. Often disguised under humor and satire, there is something much more going on in these stories that leaves you both appreciative and sceptical, astounded by what we can accomplish but leery of the boundaries we may cross in the process. In a world of power, fear and our doomed morality, Meronk gives us the opportunity to laugh and reflect in his first collection of surgery-inspired stories.

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Holly N.

Fresh and imaginative. Loved it!

Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2018

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As a rule, I don’t read short stories because...well, they’re usually too brief to really get invested in and so many are dark and depressing and not very original. I took a chance on this collection only because of its catchy title. What a surprise. The great writing grabbed me and pulled me in and I finished all ten titles in one day. The stories are amazing--original and imaginative yet each one is different from any of the others. The humor and satire levels were sometimes high. Same with intensity, especially with the title story. However, all the stories were enjoyable and once I reached the end, I realized I’d been treated to an exceptional and enriching experience and wanted to write a review, which is rare for me. Anyway, kudos to the author. I loved his book and give it my highest recommendation.

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Customer Reader

Definitely not for the sensitive

Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2018

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This is the second set of stories I've read by Frank Meronk, so I knew what to expect. Meronk uses his surgical experiences to create short stories exploring the transformations made through surgery. What I love about the stories are they don't pull punches. They explore the not so pretty side like the surgeon Howard who viewed a patient as a gold mine thanks to body dysmorphic disorder and a disposable income. Meronk's writing really drags you in whether you find the characters repulsive or find that you can relate to them. His stories are well rounded and offer a sense of closure so the reader is not left feeling cheated.

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Jordan Liberty

Weird, funny, unusual, modern, and different.

Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2018

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A collection of short stories each exploring one weird corner of the medical profession. From switching bodies to heightened 'smellers' and renegade surgeons, each story is unique and interesting. A fresh new angle to the world of plastic surgery.

The stories each had their own flavour to them, and I enjoyed reading them. The plots were overall unique, with interesting - although not always likeable - characters, and a solid place in the modern world. Parts were funny and parts were sad. An enjoyable read of stories with a different angle to them.

Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2018

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The curious and misleading title aside, Frank Meronk has crafted a master collection of engaging and compelling short stories. With each one using plastic surgery as a platform, they range from touching anecdotal tales to those that truly come from a vivid and amazing imagination. Each one is unique, and the common thread is passion. Passion for a good life, passion to become something more than what they once were, and the passion to prove themselves better than all the rest. Some are truly fictional, while others clearly reflect modern attitudes towards those that cherish the perfect ideal, the plastic people of the world. An engaging collection, and its one that will keep you turning pages from the start.

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Scott Veronica Richard

Descriptive and intriguing

Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2018

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Frank Meronk has a way with words. His stories are descriptive and really brings the readers into the stories. I don’t often read short stories, but was pleasantly surprised by the worlds Meronk brought to life. His stories are about transformation and human existence- how everyone wants to look and be better and are always striving for greatness. These stories are great reads and really speaks to the soul on what is really important. I look forward to reading more short stories from this author.

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Meronk proves himself a master of short stories

Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2018

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Short stories are one of the most difficult microgenres. Writers must nail the plot, deliver the meat, and strip out the rest. Not only does the author succeed, he does so with style. He merges a lifetime of experience and flair for the written language to describe the physical and mental struggles of surgery. Meronk examines cultural stigmas and beliefs that impact patients using witty anecdotes and character exaggerations.

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Charles M

An Interesting read that's for sure!

Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2018

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This book was a collection of different stories and they all differ tremendously. It contains literary works ranging from the absurd to the funny. I did enjoy reading this book, it went by quickly and was a fairly easy read. I would recomend this book to anyone who wants to be taken on a strange but fascinating literary journey!

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