≫ Read Gratis This Close Stories Jessica Francis Kane 9781555976361 Books

This Close Stories Jessica Francis Kane 9781555976361 Books

Download As PDF : This Close Stories Jessica Francis Kane 9781555976361 Books

This Close Stories Jessica Francis Kane 9781555976361 Books

"The quality of your life is the quality of your relationships."
Anthony Robbins

The perception that the mundane in our lives gives us our reality, is all very true. How we live our daily lives is a reflection of who we are. It all seems so trite, but,then,we carry on as if nothing is happening. Jessica Francis Kane has written a quiet, glorious book that is so wonderful I couldn't stop reading. I read the book from beginning to end, and then felt a great need to start over. The stories within this book touched me like no other. All of these people, their lives depended on an action, and, they just missed. Somehow, without missing a beat, the author was able to combine the subtle nuances of their lives without betraying their souls. A glimpse into the daily life, a thought here and there that is not able to be said, or not wanted to be said. Actions speak louder than words, and, oh, how,we can see this in spades. I did not feel the need for a story to be complete, that almost never happens. These stores are the inner lives,what they hoped would occur, and what lives they really lived.

It took me awhile to realize that the stories of a boy named Mike were related. Really the stories of Mike and his mother. From the one page 'Lesson' about learning to drive to 'First Sale', the yard sale of their old life, to 'Double Take', the story of the roommate, Ben, and, then, 'Night Class' the teacher, the dancer. How intricately the stories are woven to provide a little more light.

My favorite group of stories are about Hannah, her father, John, and her mother, Elizabeth. But all of the stories are meaningful and insightful. 'The Local Birds' is masterful and leaves us in a good place. And, then 'Next In Line', I will never enter a CVS without thinking about the store, the aisles , and the spot near the cash register where S was laid to wait for her mother. I will look around for that woman dressed in black.

Such a fine book with exquisite writing. It had been awhile since I have read such a thoughtful cohesive look at life.

Highly Recommended. prisrob 03-09-13


Tags : This Close: Stories [Jessica Francis Kane] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <b> This Close</i>, a graceful, moving new collection by the author of The Report</i></b> *An NPR and Flavorwire </i>Best Book of the Year * How close can we come to love,Jessica Francis Kane,This Close: Stories,Graywolf Press,1555976360,Short stories,Short stories.,United States - Social life and customs - 20th century,031002 Graywolf TP,American Contemporary Fiction - Individual Authors +,FICTION Literary,FICTION Short Stories (single author),Fiction,Fiction - General,FictionLiterary,Literary,Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945),Short Stories (single author)

This Close Stories Jessica Francis Kane 9781555976361 Books Reviews

When I say these short stories are the best I have read in years, and then add that they are so clean, neat, and perceptive in their style and presentation that they remind me of those by Andre Dubus (the father), I am not exaggerating. Kane's stories are sensitive, psychologically astute, and filled with observations that will expand your own viewpoint, maybe even allowing you to see yourself in new ways. The title says it all. Each character here (and some of them repeat in several stories) is facing an event which may change his/her life significantly. As the characters' stories unfold, each person comes "this close" to having a life-changing revelation, only to have the opportunity escape them, in most cases, through their own inactions, as they turn back to the comfort of the familiar and the habitual, or as they ignore the possibilities. Few characters come to any real recognition and resolution. Most of them muddle through on their own.

All the stories deal with relationships and their complexities, and three stories are "stand alones," in which the characters do not reappear in other stories. "Lucky Boy" tells of a man in New York City who takes his laundry to the same small Korean laundry every week until he finds himself offering to help their small boy learn to catch a baseball at the park on Saturdays. Both sides completely misunderstand the motivations of the other. In another story, "Evidence of Old Repairs," a mother who is a secret drinker, tries to hide the evidence from her husband, who is "making amends" after an affair gone wrong. The third "stand alone," "Next in Line," introduces a mother whose toddler child dies after a sudden illness. Some weeks earlier, the mother had been chastised by an older woman at CVS when she ignored her 15-month-old child who was having a tantrum, and she begins to regard the older woman as an "angel of death."

One family appears in three stories, allowing the reader to build on information gleaned in one story and apply it to the new stories, adding depth and insights and making the characters come alive in new ways. Another family appears in two stories and one tiny additional story which adds a conclusion to a story that takes place in two episodes twenty-five years apart. The sensitivity with which the author develops her characters and reveals their misunderstandings leads to unforgettable stories based more on what the various characters are thinking, rather than on what happens in the action. Here the "ah-ha" moments are quiet "oh, dears," as the reader suddenly gets the picture with full understanding.

It is this quality of Kane's work - her presentation of events in which the reader draws conclusions based on what s/he imagines the characters are thinking, based on their actions - which makes these stories so brilliant and so subtly revelatory. Perceptive, astute, and remarkably concise, these stories are among the best of the best.
finished the book but didn't enjoy most of them, however some were stellar and really stuck with you. Uneven overall.
i am not a fan of short stories but this book was the pick for our little book club
i didnt' know it was a book of short stories and was a bit confused while reading cuz
the subjects kept changing
duh
once i got into the swing of it, i loved the stories and wished for them not to end
i am now a convert
Delicate and melancholy stories about the beauty of effort and the human condition. I especially loved the last few stories about John and Hannah.
Jessica’s books are always interesting and well written. I highly recommend this book.
Her stories are easy to read and sometimes seem mundane. However, after thinking or discussing the stories you realize that she touches the right buttons and understands the common man.
A fascinating collection of literary short stories delving into relationships that cause the reader to sit back in reflection; to ponder all the twists and underlying issues each story presents. The author does an admirable job in drawing the reader in, painting exceptional scenes with words, and leaving the reader with a sense that something profound has just occurred. Well written and evocative.
"The quality of your life is the quality of your relationships."
Anthony Robbins

The perception that the mundane in our lives gives us our reality, is all very true. How we live our daily lives is a reflection of who we are. It all seems so trite, but,then,we carry on as if nothing is happening. Jessica Francis Kane has written a quiet, glorious book that is so wonderful I couldn't stop reading. I read the book from beginning to end, and then felt a great need to start over. The stories within this book touched me like no other. All of these people, their lives depended on an action, and, they just missed. Somehow, without missing a beat, the author was able to combine the subtle nuances of their lives without betraying their souls. A glimpse into the daily life, a thought here and there that is not able to be said, or not wanted to be said. Actions speak louder than words, and, oh, how,we can see this in spades. I did not feel the need for a story to be complete, that almost never happens. These stores are the inner lives,what they hoped would occur, and what lives they really lived.

It took me awhile to realize that the stories of a boy named Mike were related. Really the stories of Mike and his mother. From the one page 'Lesson' about learning to drive to 'First Sale', the yard sale of their old life, to 'Double Take', the story of the roommate, Ben, and, then, 'Night Class' the teacher, the dancer. How intricately the stories are woven to provide a little more light.

My favorite group of stories are about Hannah, her father, John, and her mother, Elizabeth. But all of the stories are meaningful and insightful. 'The Local Birds' is masterful and leaves us in a good place. And, then 'Next In Line', I will never enter a CVS without thinking about the store, the aisles , and the spot near the cash register where S was laid to wait for her mother. I will look around for that woman dressed in black.

Such a fine book with exquisite writing. It had been awhile since I have read such a thoughtful cohesive look at life.

Highly Recommended. prisrob 03-09-13