While these stories are all more vignettes than the fully developed short-shorts of Barnes's stunning Mostly Redneck, all the other Barnes hallmarks are here: the stark but poetic prose, the attention to character detail that feels quaint until it slaps you in the face, the quiet enormity of everyday lives.... It's a fast read, and sometimes it feels too fast, but only because Barnes's writing is addictive and you end each story craving the next fix. Thank goodness I now have Barnes's first novel, Reckoning, to look forward to! In the meantime, this is a beautiful little book -- another gem from both Barnes and sunnyoutside press. ( )

This slim volume of short stories punches way above its weight.

When I first saw the volume, tiny with multiple flash fiction entries, I thought I would finish the entire thing within an hour or so of reading. I was wrong, and it turned out to be a great thing.

Many of the stories are so lively and dense that it took two readings just to get caught up in the world. And each story, though small, is a different world. The stories don't interconnect, and you have the feeling that the author knows the universe of each story so well that each four page story could be a novel. That being said, there is a distinct voice that runs throughout all of the stories, with common themes--lost love, quiet dignity and indignity, the rise of the meek, subtle revolutions of spirit.

"Gross Imperfections" and "Class" were two of my favorites and will warrant reading and re-reading. I'm sure you will find your own favorites, and read them over and over again.

In short the book is quite an achievement. ( )