Stephen Chbosky
Pieces
MTV Books/Pocket Books
2000
This collection of 15 stories are the best from MTV's "Write Stuff" writing contest. I haven't read very many short stories since high school, except for a few in magazines, and am no expert on the form, but I was impressed with some of these.
This is the second book I've read with the MTV Books imprint. Who would have thought that anything related to MTV would be this good?
Here's a brief bit about some of them:
Scoring
by William Clifford
This tale is about a person trying to wash away the pain of overindulgence by more of the same. He tries to fool an emergency room psychiatrist into dispensing the magic potion.Good character (or should I say "lack of character") development and good writing.
The White Carousel Horse
by Dennis G. Dillingham, Jr.
A frightened young girl whose world is filled with sounds of bitter exchanges between her parents takes refuge in fantasy while riding a white carousel horse. Her knowledge of the cold, cruel world advances incrementally when the horse is unable to carry her away.The writing magically recreates the world of a small child. Very well done.
First Snow
by Davy Rothbart
Disturbing tale of the frustrations of some work-camp detainees and what they do for fun. This story had a good start but was a little ambiguous at the ending. The author didn't give a strong enough statement, in my opinion, on how he felt about the actions in the story.The Carnival
by Clementyne Howard
This is a densely disguised metaphor for something. For what, I do not know, but in a way, that is its strength. The pictures painted by the author stick with you.Next Time
by Michelle Rick
This is a kind of fairy tale of events which enliven the day of a depressed housewife. Very imaginative and well told.
Pinball
by Jason Rekulak
A young man experiments while he tries to decide whether he wants a monogamous relationship with his girlfriend. Chilling.
Roam
by Kathleen Bedwell Hughes
This is one of the best tales in the book. A young chef keeps body and soul together by working as a private cook for a pregnant woman whose relationship provides a mirror in which she examines her own recently failed one. Very good character development.
Respiration
by Chandra Steele
A social worker visits the home of a woman who has been taking care of a child at home who has been in a coma for many years. Interesting glimpse at a problem with some currency.
A Fortune
by Joy Monica T. Sakaguchi
Can a pickpocket have any redeeming qualities? The author speculates, using the main character's observations of and contact with a young boy.
Forbidden Fate
by Sujata Dechoudhury
A young girl in India is raised by liberal parents. The parents die in a car accident and young Savitri is brought up by her more traditional grandparents. In this story, she is faced with an arranged marriage, and contemplates an old story related to her by her mother about why no one ever swims in the pool at the back of the house.
Conclusion
This is a very good book of short stories from some authors I look forward to seeing more from in the future. A couple of them, especially, seem to have a well developed sense of story, theme and character which would carry over well into novel form. Many of them transcend their contemporary themes and settings, while one or two seem almost more like writing exercises. Most of them are memorable.
If you like short stories, or even if you don't read them much, this book is well worth your time. It's small and light: throw it in your car or bag for waiting in line somewhere!
This book is also available at
Amazon.co.uk
Other books by this author, or related books if none are available:
