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I will not be so presumptuous as to claim I understood how to rate a collection like this, and not just because I see all sorts of problems in my natural inclination to slap vaguely defined numerical ratings on works of art and call it a day, but also because how do you rate this damn thing? Quality of stories seems like bad practice to me - sure, there were stories I didn't like in here, but that's the nature of them and they were so quick I'd find something I did like around the corner. Maybe
Reading this book was like taking a quick walk through the world, peeking at different lives and experiencing various emotions which are universal.The book is beautifully formatted, at the top of the page is the name of the country where the stories are from - which really helps understanding the context sometimes, and then the name of the story and the author. Ranging from stories from Ancient Rome to modern day United States, the selection is diverse. The little bite-sized pieces of stories ar...
Proves you don't need to be florid or wordy to write an amazing piece of fiction. Sherman Alexie's 'Idolatry' was my particular favorite, thanks to the elegant knife twist at the end. Great collection that I will return to again & again.
Started slow and was worried this was another wasted attempt at finding a good collection of flash fiction. When it got good, it stayed good. Some of my favorites were as follows: ShatteredLoveHonor KillingSignsIdolatryLostThe Extravagant Behavior of the Naked WomanNight Drive The Light EaterInsomnia (best of the collection) Appointment in SamarraThe Egg PyramidMy Brother at the Canadian BorderWhen a Dollar was a Big DealReunionFarewell, I Love you & GoodbyeFrom the Roaches’ PerspectiveStories
It's probably too hard to rate a diverse collection such as this, with stories from over eighty different people, plus snippets of flash fiction theory to finish - so what can I say? A hefty, healthy compendium, with lots of familiar names (and a tendency to lean more American than I'd expected). If I had a criticism, it's that the collection is rather more realist than experimental, and perhaps misses out on some more nimble works than it could have showcased. I did notice a bit of a repetition...
My book blurb: Like the most diligent of cultural anthropologists, the editors of Flash Fiction International have sifted through centuries of micro art to record and then exhibit to the rest of the world these enduring small stories, common in their humanity but culturally distinct in their presentations. This anthology is a gift to the literary community, an important contribution to the understanding of the flash species in all its variegated forms.
The author E.L. Doctorow once said that “Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader—not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.” This came to mind as I flew through the 86 stories collected in Flash Fiction International, each by a different author and each only a few paragraphs long.“Really?” a friend asked when I explained the anthology’s concept. “Isn’t that too short to have characters and a plot and everything?”Maybe, but it’s long enough to really
Flash fiction InternationalReviewed by Ray ZimmermanI usually compare the novel to a mammal, be it wild as a tiger or tame as a cow; the short story to a bird or a fish; the microstory to an insect (iridescent in the best cases). - Louisa ValenzuelaLuisa Valenuzeula’s statement has a certain charm as she compares the very short fiction form, now known as flash fiction, to iridescent insects, but I prefer to liken them to gems, lustrous with beauty and hard as the truths they reveal. The editors
I didn't finish this book. I'm not wild about the genre of flash fiction after all, which shouldn't surprise me since I'm not big on short stories either. Every once in a while there is a piece that really grabs me, but for the most part there is too short hand in conveying ideas and not enough character development in this genre.
Iranian-American author Sholeh Wolpé, born 1962Flash Fiction International - Steller collection of 86 short-short stories, usually 1 or 2 or 3 pages long, from authors around the globe. Below are three of my very favorites.Note - Unfortunately, the separate reviews I posted for each of these three tales no longer appear on Goodreads. Thus my consolidating in this review. MY BROTHER AT THE CANADIAN BORDER by Sholeh WolpéOn their way to Canada in a red Mazda, my brother and his friend, Ph.D.s and
What a delight! However, flash fiction isn't for everybody. If you're the type of reader who needs concrete endings, the held-breath suspension of such delicate, ephemeral stories will only frustrate you. (I own other flash-fiction anthologies edited by James Thomas, and now I want to read them all again.)
The short story is different from a novel in length and in plot content. Flash fiction is a variation with very, very, very short stories. They are popular throughout the world and offer writers a creative chance to experiment, to compress and still express some type of story which can leave a reader room for speculation and even some puzzle solving. As with regular short stories, because they are short, these works can be read quickly, however they often require more than one repeat reading, an...
If you were to think of novels as grand sculptures of marble and metal, this book would be an eclectic little collection of fascinating trinkets from around the world. This anthology is certainly worth checking out. It's a vivifying demonstration of how much storytelling and literary experimentation can be accomplished in the span of two or three or less pages.There were a good number of stories that I didn't think were stellar, but even that added to the adventure of it. I truly had no idea wha...
FLASH FICTION INTERNATIONAL ⭐️⭐️ I love flash fiction and have a hard time finding it at the library and bookstores. Unfortunately, this collection felt heavy on the shock value (sex, violence) and light on the craft. Flash writing is so intricate and full. Every word, every punctuation matters. Instead of rising to that challenge, it felt like the writers tried to grab the reader with messy, “surprising,” and (ultimately) redundant content.
I love flash fiction and I love the concept of an anthology of authors from around the world, as then you get to sample so many authors. Speed dating with authors. What fell flat for me was the tone of the collection as a whole. A lot of these stories are dark and sad. They are also very rooted in present day troubles. All fine if you like that sort of thing, but I don't unfortunately. The only story that was more in the vein of what I like was Kirsty Logan's story 'The Light Eater', about a wom...
Here are stories you can read in less than five minutes. Every continent is represented, with the exception of Antarctica. Some of the authors amaze me with their ability to portray a character’s entire life in under 1,000 words. Two of my favorite pieces, “Barnes” by Edmundo Paz Soldán and “Idolatry” by Sherman Alexie, are each only one page long. Both authors explore the human craving for recognition, but in different ways.
This is a fantastic and far-reaching collection of flash fiction featuring writers from all over the globe. As with any collection of stories or anthologies there's always that feeling of some stories being better than others, but all of these pack a punch and reward pondering. The flash theory section at the end is just as thought-provoking as the flashes themselves. An important flash fiction anthology.
What a beautiful collection! I read everything in here without skipping around, which is rare for me, and it was especially interesting to see the geographic trends in my favorite flash pieces. (Apparently I like flash from the UK, US and Argentina almost equally, with a dash of the Northern European. Who would've known!) This was the first collection of flash I've read, and as formal (or informal) introduction to the form, this book is a great read. Recommended to: writer who want to learn abou...
We are speaking to Robbie Shapard for our book club teleconference. I am looking forward to it.3.5 stars. Interesting collection of VERY short stories gathered from around the world. Not a book to read cover to cover, but great for a few minutes here and there...waiting for children, standing in a check out line, reading a few pages before bed. I'd never read flash fiction before and it is different even than short stories. Some similar themes sprinkled throughout, but even if you don't understa...
I mostly enjoyed reading these microstories. Though for the most part they feel like scenes from a longer work, or even just writing experiments, rather than stories with a beginning, middle and end. Some fun ones about flies and god, Koko and death. And it was refreshing to be able to pick up, read for a few minutes, and set aside. However, I'm not running back to the library in search of another compilation.