A Jeweler's Eye for Flaw: Stories

This is a great collection of short stories. I was knocked out, been telling all my friends, all that stuff. Anyone sick of Dan Brown and his ilk of clumsy sensationalists should pick this up, spend time with a writer who knows how to find insight into the small moments life offers. Highly recommended.

This book is really something. I generally am hesitant to spend so much dough on a writer that isn't a sure bet, but after reading her prize-winning title story in a lit mag I had to grab it. God, she's refreshing. Comparable (sort of) to Denis Johnson without the reliance on dope as a plot element. Funny, wry, dark, intelligent. If you want to see what's going on in contemporary fiction check this out (She's got a novel too if you're not much into short stories that comes out in a month or two).

The sheer verbal energy and inventiveness of this collection pulled me straight through to the last page in less than two days, a personal recond for reading a story collection. The stories are edgy, unpredictable, funny peculiar, funny haha, and most of all wisely discerning about lives quietly lived on the margins of our society. I was reminded somewhat of Confederacy of Dunces. Christie Hodgen is so talened: Ephram lives! The book was really a delight to read.