Scar Vegas: And Other Stories

Paine mixes Laughtere and Joye in perfect measure. The wonder is how convincing his many divergent characterizations are. The social commentary, beneath it all, is stirring.

In truth, if half stars were available, I might have given this collection of short stories 4 1/2 stars, but I still though it was great. The stories were varied not only in their subject matter but in their style of being told, almost to the point where it feels that each story was written by a completely different author. In addition, they range from broad comedy to real tragedy to astute social commentary to everything in between. Quite an accomplishment. My only slight reservation was that, while I considered the second 5 stories to be very good, they were not in my view as uniformly excellent as the first five, which were truly great. In particular, I felt that the "Unapproved Minutes of the Carthage, Vermont, Zoning Board" (absolutely hilarious) and "The Spoon Children" were the best of the group. Buy the book and enjoy it.

This is an excellent collection of edgy and exquisitely detailed stories. All the tales have twists, which comment on the modern landscape. The writer has won a host of awards and his sumptuous and effecting prose produce thrills as well as introspection with regard to political events and corporate policy. Highly entertaining and recommended.

don't believe me? read the first story and then get back to me

I can't believe it. Just as I thought I could never find a short story with something important to say, Tom Paine erupts with stories that grab your attention and make you think. Great writing. Important ideas.Unforgettable. If you suspect that there's more to real life than internet IPO's and instant millionaires, read Scar Vegas. A breath of real air--fresh and shocking.