I was really looking forward to reading this book because I like short story collections, especially of the fantasy/paranormal/supernatural persuasion, but unfortunately, I don't think it was quite for me. I was left wanting more often than not, not because I didn't get the story, but because it fell somewhat flat. There were a few very well written stories, and I did enjoy those, I just felt there were too few of these.

3/5 stars. ( )

adult fiction/short stories. I don't generally go for short stories, because I find them too long and not that rewarding, but Loory's collection of ultra short stories and "flash" fiction are like quick punches that can be consumed instantly. Pleasantly surprising. ( )

Not only am I going to reread this book immediately, I'm going to select stories for my students to read this year. While there are a handful of stories that are a bit uneven, they are still astonishing. "Post-modern fairy tales" is as good a tag for this book as I've seen, and yet that doesn't quite do this collection justice. I'm puzzled, surprised, delighted and annoyed by these stories, sometimes all at once. (The "annoyed" part comes from having to work out what some stories mean, which is another way of saying that perhaps I've gotten lazy when it comes to short stories, or I've gotten too used to hyper-realism in short fiction.) As a reader who enjoys fables and various modern attempts to write them (Isak Dinesen, for one), I thoroughly enjoy Ben Loory's book. ( )

The prose may be deceptively simple, but there's a lot of imagination here. ( )

Imagine observing a highly-proficient artisan specializing in balloon animals or origami. Twist and fold, twist and fold. Then there's that last turn and the obscure creation suddenly pops into being, large as life. But Ben Loory is a tad more skilled than most and when his bizarre inventions abruptly open their eyes, gain consciousness of their artificial existence, and then scream wildly (or saunter up to you for a cuddle) - well, it's at that moment you realize you've hit on something extraordinary. - Adam