Review of Call It What You Want by Keith Lee Morris

Disaffected and disillusioned men are the characters in Keith Lee Morris's collection of short stories, Call It What You Want.

In straightforward, clear, and honest prose, Morris writes about the lives of men across a range of ages, from early 20s to middle age. Most of these men live in Idaho or come from that part of the country and end up living somewhere else. They are introspective men who haven't had the easiest lives, be it with work, family, friends. The word "hardscrabble" comes to mind when I think about many of the characters.

I thought the first half of the book was much stronger than the second half. Among my favorite stories was "Camel Light," in which a married man with two children tries to enjoy a day off-- and alone-- only to be derailed by finding a cigarette stub in his kitchen. Another of my favorites was "Guests," in which a twentysomething man, recently graduated from college, works in a hotel in New Orleans with one of his buddies. An older and very beautiful woman is a guest at the hotel and offers him a glimpse of the life he could have. I also really liked "Ayudame,"which tells the story of a roofer who witnesses a terrible accident.

"A Desert Island Romance" was less successful and didn't seem to fit with the rest of the collection. I also thought "The Culvert," a story of a man who loses a son in a flash flood, wasn't as good as the other stories.

The majority of the stories were excellent, and a number of them have stuck with me. I will remember them for a long time. For this reason, I give Call It What You Want an 8.5.

Review of I Curse the River of Time by Per Petterson

I Curse the River of Time is a beautiful book. In clear and precise prose, Per Petterson tells the story of Arvid Jansen, a 37-year-old man in the midst of a divorce, who also happens to have a very complicated relationship with his mother.

To put it bluntly, Arvid is not a happy man. He drops out of college to follow his Communist ideals. He has had "issues" with his mother for his entire life. And now his mother is dying.

The book takes place both in Norway and in Denmark, where Arvid's mother is originally from. It moves up and back in time, tracing Arvid's youth and young adulthood, and touches on the brother he lost. It's easy to see that Arvid's mother is a complicated woman, full of dreams and regrets. The two never really argue, but the tension is always gurgling beneath the surface.

The writing was lovely. At times, the novel seemed to have a conversational tone, and I think this worked well. And there were definitely many dark and contemplative moments throughout the book.

Petterson's descriptions of Scandinavia were excellent, and his observations were spot on. Not that much happens in I Curse the River of Time, but action is not the point.

Just One Pink gives I Curse the River of Time an 8.5.