Some stories were excellent others I did not like - which is often the case for me when reading short story collections! ( )

I am not a fan of short stories, and so I have read very few. Every year or so I'll trip across a collection by an author I particularly enjoy, or I may hear about a hot, new release by the best-selling author of the day, and I take a shot. And I'm usually disappointed. I just don't get short stories, they don't seem to resonate for me. I rarely finish one and think about how much I enjoyed it and what it meant to me. I find it interesting though that I keep trying.

I read Roorbach's novel, "The Remedy For Love", a few years back and enjoyed it very much. I have been awaiting a follow up novel along the same lines, and waiting and waiting, but nada. So, I bought "The Girl of the Lake", a collection of ten stories, not nine as suggested by the Amazon description. I rated the majority of Roorbach's here four stars, but several were only three, and just one, "Dung Beetle" was five stars, perhaps because it reminded me on my own days at that age.

In the afterward to "The Girl of the Lake", Roorbach mentions that most of the stories had been previously published in various magazines, presumably over a span of some time. I find it interesting that these collections of stories rarely have a common theme or message, that weaves through the stories, perhaps stronger in some than others. Or perhaps I'm just missing it? But apparently, not so. And too often, I get to the end and wonder so what?, why did you write this? what's the point? Like the old song says, "is that all there is"?

And if you want to see a cinematic version of Chick's vision at the lake (sans dog), see "Doc Hollywood" with Julie Warner. ( )

I read Roorbach's novel, Remedy of Love a couple of years ago and I liked it, but it took his latest story collection, to really get my attention. Wow! This dude can write. He has a terrific understanding of what makes people tick and combine those observational skills with superb storytelling chops and you have one very fine collection. There is humor, compassion and memorable characters. I am sure, Roorbach, is beloved in New England, he is a Mainer after all, but this guy deserves a much wider audience. Hope this one puts him on the map. Fingers crossed. ( )

When one falls in love with the first story, the other stories in the collection have a hard act to follow. The first story, a young boy, clever enough to get himself signed out of school, plays war games on the estate of an elderly neighbor. Before the story's end he will learn that real war is nothing like play.

Although this story would remain my favorite, I did admire all of them. The prose was outstanding, clever and smart, often witty. They all concern relationships, of all different sorts, and often when least expected, they have unexpected or insightful endings. The last story, which is also the title story, came closest to the first one in my favor. A seventeen yesterday old boy, his grandmother and an island. Out of sadness, joy is found.

A good, solid, often brilliant collection of shorts. ( )