As a lover of short stories, I'm typically drawn to them at used book sales, but do not always jump to a purchase, but since this one had the interior of an elegant 1940's automobile featured on the cover, there was no way i was not taking it home! Old cars are the other important thing in my life... This book was a mixed bag for me, with some stories really having an impact, and others not. The general theme of these 8 stories was unsettled, relatively lonely men being forced to trudge thru life, never really feeling as if they are gaining, and obviously not feeling in control of their situations. Canada, Vermont & the railroad were primary settings, and an element of cold weather and the need to keep warm seemed prevalent, rather poignant as i sit by my woodstove in Maine in December! I absolutely loved 'Old Swimmers,' 'Milk Train,' 'Laughing and Crying,' & 'Whatever Lola Wants.' 'The Chauffeur' would be my runner-up. The overall bleakness of the stories, the settings, the outlook on the character's futures probably kept this rating below a 4 for me....but i very much enjoyed the sparse, uncluttered, easy to read writing style of Mr. Norman. Absolutely no regrets, other than my pet peeve of the cover on my volume being completely in conflict with the story itself....the chauffeur-driven car in the book was a late 1980's Lincoln Town Car, not the plush back-seat featured on the cover from the 1940's. GRRRRR!!! But then again, why did i pick up the book? GRRRRRR!!!! ( )

I can't say these are particularly memorable for the most part, but they are well-written and enjoyable. If you're interested in contemporary short stories, or enjoy the genre in general, I'd recommend them. ( )