#101 ~ Months and Seasons

September 13, 2008 at 12:51 pm | Posted in Books, LIfe, Reading | 1 Comment
Tags: Christopher Meeks, Months and Seasons, pros and cons of short stories, short stories

Months and Seasons by Christopher Meeks

Christopher Meeks sent me a copy of his latest collection, Months and Seasons a while back and I’ve been eager to read it.  I love the cover and the descriptions of his stories sounded interesting.  After finishing a 600+ page novel, a collection of short stories for my next read seemed like a wonderful change of pace.  For the first few stories, it was.  In the end, however, I was happy to get back to the world of novels.

I am not someone who frequently reads short stories.  It isn’t that I don’t like short stories, but novels simply are my preference.  While I enjoyed Meeks’ characters, most especially Frank in “The Holes in My Door,” I found myself wanting more.  When I finish reading a good novel, it feels like a complete experience.  If I don’t, it’s a sign that the book didn’t work for me.  With short stories, this is intensified for me.  This isn’t necessarily about the quality of the story, but about the structure of the genre.  During my reading of Months and Seasons, I kept having questions: What followed the night of the Halloween party in “Dracula Slinks into the Night?”  How did Albert’s life change after “The Sun is a Billiard Ball” finished?  Unlike, “Did Rhett and Scarlett get back together?”, they weren’t satisfying questions for me.  I don’t need (and usually don’t want) to have everything neatly tied up in a bow at the end of a novel.  I just need enough to go on to make my own conclusions.  I typically don’t find this in short stories.

Christopher Meeks is a talented writer.  If he writes a novel, I will be one of the first in line to read it.  Please don’t let my issues with short stories keep you away from this book.  I would highly recommend his short stories to those who enjoy reading short stories.

Several of my favorite bloggers have read and reviewed this collection and really enjoyed it.  Check out what’s been said about it on The Book Lady’s Blog, Devourer of Books, and Rebecca’s Reads for reviews written by readers who appreciate short stories.

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To buy this collection of short stories, click here.