Ray Gonzalez

I'm biased with my background in Hispanic Literature, but I agree with the editors that the best short fiction comes out of Latin America and US Latinos. There is a huge variety of stories here, a very strong point of the book. Sometimes, a story has to be read a couple of times for it to have any resonance for me, and of course different readers will prefer different stories, but with so much material, you're sure to find something that you like! I love the short-short format and feel that show more it can create powerful, lasting images, raise questions, and inspire more writing. I'm slogging through 2666 right now, so I really appreciated the chance to see that Roberto Bolaño can write a complete story in less than five gazillion words! I may also be biased because the Julio Ortega who closes the collection was my Borges professor! The worst thing about this book is the cover. The flaming newspaper probably contains a statement about the media or the act of writing or reading, but it first of all suggests the barbaric practice of ear candling (to remove excess wax) and would be very off-putting in a bookstore. I received this book through the Early Reviewers program, and I'm so glad. It is a very worthy addition to the dialog on short fiction. show less

I'm only writing this review b/c I rec'd this as an Early Reviewer book. I'm not the intended audience here, I don't think. I love literary fiction & am familiar with and enjoy many of the authors in this collection. But the "Sudden" part (no story can be longer than 1,500 words) feels very limiting & maybe even gimmicky to me. Raymond Carver could do amazing things in such a short space. Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour," also springs to mind as a devastatingly effective very short show more story. These, alas, are not those. Some authors (Edmundo Paz Soldan, Junot Diaz) seem like they've created great, brief first drafts -- there's something there but they haven't quite brought it out yet. Others (Josefina Estrada) have written episodes that might belong in longer works but don't hold up on their own, reading like non sequiturs rather than stories. Most feel like the result of an exercise, a sort of practice writing session, rather than fully crafted works. Again, though, I'm not the intended audience for this anthology -- even the Borges story didn't appeal to me. But if you like the idea of seeing what talented writers can do w/in a set of narrow limitations (like Project Runway, but for fiction) then maybe you should check this out. show less

Having an understanding of the purpose and challenge of short fiction (Flash Fiction, Sudden Fiction, Micro Fiction and the like) may be a prerequisite to reading and enjoying Sudden Fiction Latino. The writing of such short fiction is demanding; the author must tell an entire story, present an entire character, or project an entire change of feeling in under 1500 words. The shorter the writing and the more powerful the "hit" or the "slap," the more successful the story. Sudden Fiction show more Latino is not a book setting out to prove that Latino authors write short fiction in a different way - or better - than writers of any other background. What the book does strive for, however, is to introduce certain experiences from the Latino world through the medium of sudden fiction. In this respect, the anthology works well. For those acquainted with Latin-American literature, there are offerings from well-known writers such as Garcia Marquez, Allende, and Borges. American Latinos are also highlighted, and many lesser known writers are brought to light in this book. The most powerful part of Sudden Fiction Latino is what makes all sudden fiction exciting: a beautifully or unusually rendered insight into real life that happens quickly and almost unexpectedly. A slap in the face. An awakening. Even writers of long fiction can have difficulty producing a "round" character, a character who changes significantly during the presentation of the story. For a writer of short fiction, this feat seems almost impossible. Luis Alberto Urrea's "The White Girl" is a commendable piece of short fiction, the accomplishment of creating a truly round character in very few words. Louis Reyna's "The Hitchhiker" creates incredible suspense and has the reader questioning heavy ethical issues all within a few pages. Socorro Venegas' "Johnny Depp" makes the reader take a real look at the world of psychiatry and the mysteries that lie between determining what reality really is. "Celeste's Heart" by Aida Bortnik is a wonderful cameo of a moment of decision that changes a person's life forever. Those are just a few examples of what is in store for the reader of Sudden Fiction Latino. And - as with all very short fiction - the anthology is useful for reading at odd moments and does not need to be read - and probably should not - all at once. Allowing each piece to linger for a day or two before starting another makes each one more meaningful and memorable. show less

There is great variety in this collection of short-shorts by writers from Latin America and the U.S. (Latino). Intermingling translations with pieces written in English, the anthology does not so easily divide at the U.S. border. As in any collection, several stories didn't particularly impress me, most I enjoyed, and a few really engaged me. Looking back, I see that my own favorites split pretty evenly.

From Latin America: Roberto Bolano's "Phone Calls" stands out, but so do works by writers show more who were new to me. Marco Denevi's "The Lord of the Flies" goes beyond a set piece in its imaginative look at religion. "The Proof" by Rodrigo Rey Rosa portrays a child's cruelty in a way that is both unflinching and tender.

From the U.S.: Daniel Alercon's "The Visitor" is a haunting story of a family starting again in the aftermath of a natural disaster. In "The Back of My Own Head in a Crowd," Alberto Rios artfully inhabits the mind of a woman at loose ends. And Ana Castillo's "Foreign Market" is heartbreaking in its economical telling of an embarrassing love affair.

In a few instances, groupings of microstories were included, and I would have enjoyed seeing more of them represented. The guidelines for length, though, are determined by this series, and the editors' flexibility with them seems to have paid off in a strong collection. show less