**spoiler alert** Bomer's first section of stories in "Inside Madeleine" are relatable, nostalgic, and have just the right amount of wry humor. They w**spoiler alert** Bomer's first section of stories in "Inside Madeleine" are relatable, nostalgic, and have just the right amount of wry humor. They were stories that I could easily listen to in the car and enjoyably pass the time. I could breeze right through these stories and have a relatively pleasant time while doing so, and then seamlessly passing on to the next book on my to-read list.
And then I got to the second section, that shared it's title with the novel.
Divided into 18 or so chapters, "Inside Madeleine", follows the childhood, youthful adolescence, and young adulthood of Maddy. All Madeleine wants to do is consume; her entire existence is devoted to filling her insides. She stuffs herself with food in her childhood, in her teenage years she fills all of her orifices with male attention. She consumes the love of her first boyfriend mark, she feasts on his attention. Maddy absorbs her responsibilities at work and domestic duties. Eventually, Maddy consumes everything there is to devour in life. And then she implodes and begins to digest herself. Her body disappears inside itself and takes all the vitality and hunger Maddy had with it.
It's an incredibly raw story and its one that left me lingering. I couldn't move right on to the next book on my to-read list. This book let me keep a part of it with me when it was over, and that means all the difference. ...more
I dog eared a few of the stories, particularly "Sophia". Others make you question if they count as a story at all. There's no real development from onI dog eared a few of the stories, particularly "Sophia". Others make you question if they count as a story at all. There's no real development from one story to the next, but each one opens and closes well. ...more
The concept of 55 Fiction is very intriguing, but some of the stories are little predictable and follow the "twist" tropes that the creators of the coThe concept of 55 Fiction is very intriguing, but some of the stories are little predictable and follow the "twist" tropes that the creators of the concept warn blossoming authors about. It's a quick listen, two hours at most, so it's perfect for a quick couple of jaunts in the car. ...more
I'm not usually a big fan of absurdist humor or someone who was even that familiar with Odenkirk's previous works/talents. There are a few of these stI'm not usually a big fan of absurdist humor or someone who was even that familiar with Odenkirk's previous works/talents. There are a few of these stories that are ridiculously funny and intelligent; the ones where you go, "Ah damn, I wish I could be that clever and witty and smart and FUNNY". But there are others that take the "Oh look, I'm sooooo funny and witty and absurd, don't you think so too?" and it's a more indulgent that I can stomach. Since most of the audiobook narrators are actors/speakers/comics, its one of the more entertaining books to listen to. It's good for a car ride, especially if you need a break from NPR...more
Another one of King's writings that I read in my summer of early high school. I couldn't tell you any of the stories, but I do remember enjoying the rAnother one of King's writings that I read in my summer of early high school. I couldn't tell you any of the stories, but I do remember enjoying the read. ...more
This collection of short stories was a complete surprise to me. It was given to me by my father-in-law, along with a ton of others, in a duffle bag abThis collection of short stories was a complete surprise to me. It was given to me by my father-in-law, along with a ton of others, in a duffle bag about a year ago. I had no previous knowledge of Amy Hempel or her writing style. I haven't enjoyed a full collection of stories like this in a long while. Her writing style is very introspective and metaphorical. It was nice to just sit and relax into her words before work or just before bed. Granted, a lot of her stories are set at the beach, or involve dogs, or deal with sad yet independent women. But I enjoy all of those things, so I can't fault her there. ...more
