The Miller Masks: A Novel in Stories

"The Miller Masks" by Neil D. Isaacs is a good book for people who love short stories, but can also appreciate the fulfillment of a novel. It is also tailor-made for people who wear many hats within their own lives, since the main charcter, Jesse Miller, is many things to many other characters. But above all other roles, Jesse is a storyteller. Issacs reviews five-decades of Miller's life through a series of stories, including a majority told by the central figure, who is also a master storyteller. The tales do not link moment-to-moment, but are instead a collection of chronological episodes that capture the feel and the flavor of the life of the novel's hero. The stories are tragic, bittersweet, pathetic, cerebral, fulfilling, and humorous - sometimes very humorous. Also, it is a story about love which never falls into the traps of become a love story. In the end, Jesse Miller is a character with weaknesses, psychological defenses and self-deprecating humor. This makes him likable and, more importantly, very real to some readers. He is a character many readers will be able to identify with and empathize for.