20th Century GhostsJoe Hill
I'm officially a fan of Joe Hill. His Heart-Shaped Box wasn't perfect, but it was thrilling and well-written. His collection of short stories, 20th Century Ghosts is even better and lacks the major weakness I found in his novel. In fact, the dragging pace that plagues some parts of his novel is not an issue in his short fiction. 20th Century Ghosts was a great addition to my reading resolution.
The stories in this collection all involve the supernatural in some way. (Don't be fooled by the title, however: ghosts do not often appear in these stories.) While I enjoyed mostly all of the stories, the ones that still stand out in my mind involve a kidnapped boy and a ghostly phone connection; a boy and his odd, inflatable bestfriend; and the final story, about a young boy who really loves playing with cardboard boxes. I didn't find every story perfect, but this collection was ultimately satisfying and thrilling overall.
I'm not sure when Hill's next work will appear, but I'm eagerly anticipating to see what he'll do next. Between his writing chops and his flair for storytelling, Hill will undoubtedly enjoy as prolific a career as his father. Knock on wood, and all that.
In a nutshell: Thrilling and fun, 20th Century Ghosts offers both pathos and chills.
Bibliolatry Scale: 5 out of 6 stars
The stories in this collection all involve the supernatural in some way. (Don't be fooled by the title, however: ghosts do not often appear in these stories.) While I enjoyed mostly all of the stories, the ones that still stand out in my mind involve a kidnapped boy and a ghostly phone connection; a boy and his odd, inflatable bestfriend; and the final story, about a young boy who really loves playing with cardboard boxes. I didn't find every story perfect, but this collection was ultimately satisfying and thrilling overall.
I'm not sure when Hill's next work will appear, but I'm eagerly anticipating to see what he'll do next. Between his writing chops and his flair for storytelling, Hill will undoubtedly enjoy as prolific a career as his father. Knock on wood, and all that.
In a nutshell: Thrilling and fun, 20th Century Ghosts offers both pathos and chills.
Bibliolatry Scale: 5 out of 6 stars
2 comments:
I saw this book at B&N the other day and passed it over. Now I am mad at myself.
I liked this SO much more than Heart Shaped Box (which was good but flawed). Glad to hear you liked it too!
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