I Like Being Killed: Stories

Rating:
Summary: Positively WICKED
Review: A wonderful introduction to Fischer's other books! It was the first Fischer book I had read, and I was instantly enthralled by his grasp of the characters. He has a real talent for getting inside the characters, and even if you hate them, you can't manage to put the book down. A truly incredible display of Fischer's wicked sense of humor!

Rating:
Summary: Twice Disappointed
Review: I was excited to find this book when it first appeared in the Amazon catalog. I loved Mr. Fischer's previous titles and have bought many duplicates to give to friends and family. Unfortunately, these stories are neither very interesting nor inventive. In fact, they bare more resemblance to filler articles in more-upscale magazines. Furthermore, I'd purchased the identical collection earlier which bore the title "Don't Read This Book If You're Stupid". If you're a fan, buy it used and don't expect too much. I still have both copies........

Rating:
Summary: Not quite there
Review: While there are moments in several of the stories where the reader
will say 'yes!' or 'that's what I've been trying to articulate,' these
moments do not make a satisfying book.

The stories are interesting
studies of men in bad circumstances. However, they run much too long
to hold the reader's attention without interruption. The plights are
notable, but the characters lack qualities that allow you to empathize
with them. You find yourself wondering why the author didn't allow
something good to happen (by luck or by sheer force of will on the
part of the character) to prevent some of the stories from having
whiny lead characters. I read this book on the bus, and often found
myself becoming more interested in freeway traffic than the
stories.

After reading this book, reading additional titles by this
author is not high on my priority list.