Tabloid Dreams: Stories

This author won the Pulitzer for a previous set of stories. This book takes "Tabloid Headlines" and weaves them into very readable stores. For instance, a woman who has a glass eye is convinced her husband is cheating, so she takes her eye out and leaves it in a glass next to the bed and is able to "see" what goes on. Every story has this kind of bizarre twist, and I like that. It's not a fat book; I was able to read it in one sitting. But I highly recommend it if you are a fan of the slightly off-beat.

I was surprised to read some other readers' negative reviews of this book, because I think it's one of the very best short fiction collections I have ever read. But there's no accounting for personal taste, I suppose.These stories are linked together by a common device --all are based on (real or imagined?) tabloid headlines. Some other readers have felt this is phony and contrived, but I don't see why. You only have to read a couple paragraphs of the first story to realize that Butler's stories transcend and subvert the genre of the supermarket tabloid. These are exquisitely crafted, character-driven stories. Sure, the titles promise a superficial laugh, but the tales themselves portray the deepest joys, hopes, fears and angst of the human condition. That is the irony of the somewhat slapstick titles; the stories are funny in parts, but not in the least bit fluffy.It occurs to me that maybe it was the use of such "low culture" references as tabloid headlines that made some readers hate this book. Perhaps those readers who pride themselves on reading highbrow literature (Butler is, after all, a Pullitzer prize winner) are offended by any allusions to "baser" forms of writing. In any case, I recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys good writing, is not a snob, and has a sense of humor. The writing is masterful, the characters are outlandish but fascinating and, for the most part, believable, and the stories themselves are alternately hilarious and heart-breaking. Trust me --this book rocks.

First, in response to some earlier more negative reviews, this piece of work by Butler is not only intelligent but also extremely engaging. For once, forget being academic and inclusive, and simply enjoy the off-beat brilliant creativity that is this book. Of all the stories however, Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot, would have to be my favorite. I don't care if it does or does not live up to certain people's pompous intellectual standards (If you are so snobish as to care then don't buy this book), it is simply a tender and completely heart-breaking story full of compassion, love, humor, and imagination. If you love short stories with a twist, please read this book. If you don't have an open mind... stay away - you don't deserve to experience the wonder of imagination. THIS BOOK IS AMAZING... and so is Mr. Spaceman... I love Butler.

In this collection of short stories, Butler leaves (for once it seems) his experices of Vietnam behind and writes what can only be considered a series of fun and funny stories. If you are looking for deep, thought-provoking literature, read one of his other works, but if you are looking for a fun collection written by a great writer--Tabloid Dreams is for you. People look down on this collection because it isn't as poignant or "intellectual" as some of his other works...but who cares? It's fun...a great read.

Robert Olen Butler has put together a collection of fantastic stories fashioned from the headlines of tabloid magazines in Tabloid Dreams. The cover alone would prompt a would-be reader to pick the book up and flip through its pages. Disbelief turns to compassion as the reader takes a walk in the lives of Butler's extraordinary, but yet strangely ordinary, characters. The titles of the stories are directly quoted from tabloid headlines, but the stories are not the sensationalism that one would expect from a book with "tabloid" in the title. Butler weaves his stories with amazing care and towards the end of the book the reader begins to notice startling similarities between all of Butler's unusual characters. A boy born with a tattoo of Elvis shows us a glimpse into the life of the Elvis we 'think' we know, and a woman who catches her cheating husband with her glass eye learns a hard lesson. From a Titanic survivor trapped in a waterbed to a dead husband brought back as a pet bird, the reader ceases to see freaks and begins to see real people with feelings and emotions. The most startling thing about the book is that readers may actually find themselves identifying with the characters and after finishing Tabloid Dreams may also find themselves looking at humanity with a new attitude and a slightly askew view. Picking up a tabloid in the supermarket may not be a joke anymore

Here you find a long awaited answer to the question, "Does anybody really read this stuff?". There is no doubt - everyone has a dream to connect him to the realm of the unbelievable. Butler makes the connection. Every copy of his latest book should include a cassette of his interview on 'Bookworm' (NPR, Sunday 2/9/97