Jack Mauro

I received an electronic copy of this book from the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review, and all conclusions are my own responsibility.

This is a collection of short stories, each one perfectly capable of standing alone; the combination of the twelve creates a poignant tale of a community, no different than any other. What the author has so cleverly done is set all of the characters into the city of Knoxville, thus freeing him to deal only with the characters and the stories they tell. Having always been a fan of the short story, this compilation provides a wide and broad selection of humanity to sample in little bite sized pieces.

The stories all center around small groups of interactions, the hidden judgments made of appearance, history and the resignation of the characters to both elements while living in the moments the story details. A short story, when done well, is a photograph in time, where each word and sentence must reinforce that photograph, and there is little to no room for overselling: the story must peak with the conclusion, and all lines must lead to that conclusion. There needs to be a tightrope walker’s sense of timing and balance with all elements to reach a successful conclusion, whether or not the reader is comfortable with the conclusions drawn.

This book does all of that and more: while set in the south, they transcend that expectation a reader may have of a southern storyteller and just appreciate the quality of the writing. There is a feel, with each of the stories, that I have fully ‘met’ the people involved, and understand that moment and their part in it, with clarity and detail that they perhaps don’t see themselves. And that is the hallmark of a short story (or series) well worth reading.
… (mais)

Jack Mauro's new collection of short stories, Beautiful Man and Other Stories, is set in Knoxville, Tennessee. All the stories are set in the area of Gay Street in Knoxville. Although there are some references to the South, this is not a sappy, "Don't y'all just love fried chicken?" type of book. The setting is a metropolitan area, and the author has developed characters who are universal.

The author uses the third-person point-of-view throughout the stories, allowing for a more descriptive story. While some stories, such as Music and Coffee, grabbed my attention more than others, they were all good.

4 stars

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Innovative Online Book Tours book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”… (mais)