Uncommon Type: Some Stories

Uncommon Find

Uncommon Find: That is how I would characterize this collection of short stories. Almost everything about this is an anachronism: it celebrates typewriters, it is both entertaining and thought provoking, and it is composed entirely of short stories. Some are more geared towards entertainment and some more geared toward serious commentary on human nature, but all are worthwhile reading. In an age when short stories are an endangered species, here is a collection that deserves the readers full attention. It is best not to race through these as most (but not all) of the stories stimulate thought and reflection because they portray significant aspects of the human experience. What I am saying is that this is real literature,a rare and almost extinct commodity these days. That deeply impresses me. I had grown cynical enough to believe that publishing houses had killed literature; chasing mega-sales of vacuous action-thriller novels or ridiculous fantasies and romance. If I were a high school English teacher I would introduce some of these stories to my class as contemporary examples of the craft so they could get a break from oldies but goodies like O.Henry or Edgar Allen Poe. Mr. Hanks has won a deep respect from me for investing himself in these observations of our world. Read more