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Great things come in small packages Dec 8, 2007 (5 of 5 found this helpful)
In this book, Rusty Barnes tells 18 stories that are both poignant and memorable. Barnes is a master of flash fiction, who says more in a paragraph than can usually be found in a page. The characters and imagery quickly grabbed me, and held me in their short embrace. For the past week, I read a few each evening like savoring a delicious bitter-melon dish, a Sichuanese favorite, before falling asleep with a heavy heart.
The stories have an intensity that surprised me. Frequently, the situations described are grim, sometimes helpless. In the opening story, "What Needs to be Done," a farm wife of 30-years has to balance the guilt of infidelity with her 19-year-old brother-in-law, against any hope of a moment's happiness. The concurrent senses of right and wrong from a simple heart reveal unexpected complexity.
Many of the stories are set in rural America, often hinting of the South, and the characters are usually unsophisticated. Barnes, however, has managed to mix a variety of cultural overtones into the characters that made me reflect on myself. One of my favorites is Beamer, the opera loving farmer who, to his last breath sings Arias to the dancing cows. Coincidentally, "playing music to the cow" is a Chinese adage that derides someone who speaks to the wrong audience. In the story "Beamer's Opera," our innocent writer unintentionally turns the saying around, as Beamer's whole life unfolds in a few pages and ends as artfully as it is portrayed.
Despite all their woes, the characters take the situations in stride, and Barnes renders this with authenticity. Presented from a number of different points of view, the narration never gets in the way of what is happening. Even those written in second person, which I almost always have trouble reading, came through crystal clear. This was another surprise to me - I did not expect a flash to have as complete a storyline and characterization as a "regular" short story.
I have not been what you would call a fan of flash fiction; Barnes makes me feel that should change.
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Almost a poem Dec 30, 2007 (3 of 3 found this helpful)
Rusty Barnes' prose is as unique and wonderful as his vision. Each of these sparkling little gems of stories begin with an economy and intensity or prose that, where it not for the overwhelming dive into narrative, I'd think was poetry reinvented.
Sometimes the subject of his vision is bleak, but don't let that stop you. Bleak or not, the love and humanity comes pouring, pounding, driving through all these pieces of flash fiction. Each one leaves me breathless.
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Packs a Powerful Punch Jan 18, 2008 (2 of 2 found this helpful)
As I read--or more accurately, devoured--Rusty Barnes' collection of flash fiction, I couldn't help thinking of an exquisite Japanese Buddhist meal with its a tray of tiny dishes, each serving up a tidbit of austere, perfectly-crafted, and ultimately enlightening fare. Fresh images and elegant prose make a bracing contrast to the gritty and all-too-real characters who populate these brief tales. Often unable to inarticulate their desires and despair, they ultimately do find the strength to do "what needs to be done" as the title of the opening story suggests. I was particularly impressed with the exploration of sexuality in many of these stories. Adultery, partner-swapping, disappointed housewives taking out their frustration in the arms of visiting handymen--Barnes pierces through the clichés to touch the tender, wounded heart of erotic desire. My only problem was that I found myself racing through the stories to find out what happens next and finished the book all too quickly. This is one of those rare dishes indeed--a literary page-turner. Fortunately, this is a book that will only get better with repeated readings.
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Unique and well written Feb 12, 2008 (1 of 1 found this helpful)
The grit of these stories stays with you for a long time, and better yet, these well written micro/flash stories are moving as well as dark and unforgettable. Things are often not what they seem but in very creative ways. They can be opposite of where the reader thinks they are going or completely over the edge of the cliff the reader is balancing on.
The story "Beamer's Opera," is an amazing tapestry of work which can be viewed in more than one way. It, as all 18 of the stories in Breaking It Down, was crafted in only a few pages. "What Needs to Be Done," the first story in the collection sets the tone, where in this one, a woman who is stuck in a bad marriage with a drunken southern farmer fuels her life with an affair in the barn with the man's son.
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Stunning Work Mar 2, 2008 (1 of 1 found this helpful)
A magnificent read. Barnes' characters are full of longing and hope, even as they stand in dark and bleak places. The quality of Barnes' writing is first rate. He truly knows how to use words in a way that maximizes their impact.