Months and Seasons

Christopher Meeks
White Whisker Books (2008)
ISBN 9780615188706
Reviewed by Rachel Durfor for RebeccasReads (6/08)

In high school, I discovered Charles Bukowski, John Fante, and Raymond Carver.  I subsequently realized I was a lover of short story fiction.  As a collection of short stories, Christopher Meeks’s “Months and Seasons” definitely holds its own, and does not disappoint.

Full of complete randomness and quirkiness, ingredients I cherish, the stories in this twelve story collection chronicle the eccentricities of an array of diverse characters, who are dealing with the life thrown at them in the only way actually possible: by dealing with their problems, not escaping them.  At times laugh-out-loud funny, occasionally disturbing, and at other times thought provoking, Meeks is able to convey the feelings and lives of his subjects in an amusing, and intermittently, enigmatic manner. 

One story in particular lingers with me.  It chronicles a character’s descent into madness, and is portrayed with almost frightening descriptivism and feeling.  You can almost see the character change, like watching someone age in fast-forward. 

I appreciated the author’s writing style, and though at first I found it a little similar to Carver, which I actually found comforting, by the end of the book, I felt the style was unique unto Meeks. 

I really enjoyed these stories, and I definitely intend to go back and read the author’s previous works.  I am, beyond doubt, looking forward to reading the rest of “The Brightest Moon of the Century,” a collection of related short stories of which an excerpt is included at the end of this book.

Comments

[Diana Raabe]

I look forward to checking this collection out myself. Short story collections sometimes get short-shrifted, and usually don't receive the attention they may deserve.

[rachel@rebeccasreads.com]

It's a great read. Thanks for checking out the blog!