This is the perfect title for this book of short stories. Big Bad Love. That's what it's about. Even though parts of it were disgusting to me, the book was real. I know these people, and have been them. I laughed and I cried, even on my third time through.
Thanks to Pat Knight for this gift. ( )

I read the book Joe from this author and enjoyed it, this was a book of about 8 short stories and 2 longer ones. Unfortunately none of the stories I. This collection really went anywhere. The first 8 are all or much the same. ( )

It gives a look at gritty, desperate lives but I found it repetitious, poorly plotted, and intellectually unfulfilling. ( )

Suffers a bit from featuring the same voice through all the stories, and from an excess of machismo. But, Brown always writes well. ( )

Here is my quick take on this collection of short stories by Larry Brown. Some are really good, while others left me scratching my head. One in particular titled DISCIPLINE was a real puzzle. It didn't make sense to me, but sometimes I think the stories require re-reading. This one was written like a screenplay, and someone was on the witness stand in court, answering questions about having sex with a fat woman, called "involuntary sex." This same person was asked to then read some of his writings, out loud, and he had a meltdown - end of story.

Other stories in here made me laugh out loud. LB seems like he's crawled into many heads of people he knows, and he just plunks them down on the page so clearly, so accurately, it just leaves you amazed at his writing prowess and his remarkable ability with character portrayal. I can't say enough about that, really.

All in all, I still like his writing. I have several more books to get through, FAY is the next one I want to start, and then, maybe BILLY RAY'S FARM. If anyone has read Larry Brown, and this collection in particular - maybe you can enlighten me on the story DISCIPLINE. ( )