This is my first Andre Dubus III book so I had no idea what to expect.

I loved it. I didn't necessarily love the hollow feeling it left in my heart as I read through each person's story. I don't necessarily love the images that are so permanently etched into my brain by a perfectly executed combination of words by the author. I didn't love the hatred I felt for some of the characters.

But I DID love the ride. I don't always get so wrapped up in a book that I'm DYING to know what happens next. This one had me there. You know what I liked most? A character would think something and I was, at first, appalled by....then I realized that deep down, I might feel the same way but would never admit it. Talk about authenticity!

My only problem now is what to follow it up with......

This is a beautifully written collection of four stories, loosely connected by major characters in one, appearing as background figures in another. All four stories deal with the 'dirty' side of love, i.e. infidelity, rage, jealousy, loneliness. My favorite is Marla, an overweight 29 year old virgin feels she is missing out on important pieces of life. It is only after she is in a real relationship when she realizes love isn't always what it's cracked up to be.

I held off too long before stopping. unlikable, sexist, juvenile characters from one story to the next.

Dubus offers such vivid descriptions and similes that it's clear he is his father's on. And he does justice to the short story with not only similarly struggling, alcoholic men, but teenagers and women, too. Many turns of phrases left me in awe of his talent, and it's probably that at least one of these stories will remain in my memory for years to come.

One of my favorite contemporary writers.

I really liked the first two stories, but couldn't get through the third. I needed a break from the darkness, but plan to pick it back up at some point.

I haven't read a book that wasn't a difficult, but fantastic, read by Dubus. Was sad to see it end.

The plan is now to go back and read House of Sand and Fog. This was fantastic.

Hard to rate this, I'll round up, I guess. I've read two of his books before and liked both of them but they aren't what I'd call cheery reading. Neither was this, but I enjoyed the first three stories (the characters do NOT "walk out of one story into another", I don't know why book blurbs so often make that claim.. I guess they know a lot of people...like me...aren't big short story fans) but the fourth one I found rather dull and whiny and I had a hard time finishing it. So, started out with a bang but ended with a thud.

His writing is impeccable. This book consists of 4 stories, and none of them have closure, or even happy endings. Instead, it's about humanity and life, and people going through really tough situations. It really moved me, and each one left me yearning for closure, but enjoying the minor lessons each one left with the reader. One of my new favorite writers, easily.