Stories in the Old Style

Each one of Sim's 18 stories is a deliciously self-contained treat. My very favorites were: "Two Head Gone," a story of human helplessness in the face of ordinary but devastating loss; "The Freedom Pig," in which a runaway slave and his master's pig conspire to reach the promised land; "Get the Can," a lovely, lyrical short-short that uses a childhood game of one-up to show that all things are possible; and especially "Fetch," an emotionally packed short-short that ripped my heart out and left it bleeding in the snow at the edge of the frozen lake. No stranger to publication, Sim's stories have previously appeared in such vaunted journals as Glimmer Train, Antietam Review, Crab Creek Review, North Atlantic Review, Fourteen Hills, The Literary Review, Red Cedar Review, and New Millennium Writings. And his choice of title? Well, Sim titled his collection spot-on, in my view, because his stories truly are written in the "old style." They hearken back to such various influences as the surprise endings of O. Henry, the grit and realism of John Steinbeck and the barely contained wildness of Jack London. As a group, or stand alone, Sim's stories are spare and brutally beautiful.

The mysterious and atmospheric cover design by Geoffrey Atkin draws attention to this new book by Al Sim. And just as capturing is this collection of stories. What makes it such great reading is the diversity of topics, the feeling of personal presence and the description of human challenges and struggles - below and above the surface - and their often surprising outcome. Suspension, sense of humor and sudden twists make it hard to put down the book. Thinking "Just one more story before doing what I should do now" and then ending up reading five more without even noticing time. I truly enjoyed this book with its very real stories about love and hate, betrayal and redemption, hope and disillusion, vision and restriction, involving children and old people, young and middle-aged, placed in rural, suburban or metropolitan settings, in recent history or present times, covering a huge amplitude without falling into stereotypes. Thanks, Al, for these great stories. I recommend this book with the highest rating.