I really enjoyed this book, but I'm a huge Dave Eggers fan. I'd probably enjoy reading Dave Eggers's grocery list. That said, some of these stories probably aren't as well thought out as an Eggers's grocery list, as he alternates 'legitimate' short stories with one-to-two page 'stories' that are little more than second drafts of a writing exercise.

However, the stories that were good were quite good, and 'Quiet' and 'After I was Thrown Into the River and Before I Drowned' (which was my introduction to Eggers long ago, via Nick Hornby's 'Speaking with the Angel' anthology) in particular stuck with me for a long time.

Eggers has his usual cutesy bits of pretension ('There are Some Things He Should Keep to Himself' for example is just blank pages), but I'll admit, I enjoy those types of things probably more than I should, even if they are a little too precious.

In all, a must-read for hardcore Eggers fans, skip-able for most everyone else.

This felt like a “whatever” book. And I loved it.

Whatever— as in Eggers is just writing whatever the fuck he wants. I’m here for it.

This is an impressive little book that spans genres and approaches to modern literature. I really enjoyed it, but interestingly I thought that it fell short of his usual work. There is no doubt in my mind that it is fantastic, but I have a hard time holding it up to the same esteem as his previous work YSKOV, or even AHWOSG... Again, if this was his first text and was held up to the light of other short fiction authors of today, it would be wonderful. My favorite text within it is 'Up the Mountain Coming Down Slowly' which delivers the transcendental movement and geographty that originally made me enjoy YSKOV so much. Just so there is no confusion in my review, I treasure my signed copy very much, but I may recommend that friends read this text last in the exploration of Eggers' gorgeous body of work.

"Another" is one of the my favourite short stories.

Just reread, for the third time. I love this book of stories. Real, a little crazy, sunny and sandy and random as a train ride.

THINGS I LIKED:
-The price I paid for this book at the used bookstore, $2
-The title
-The cover
-While I was in the store, I read the very short story "On Wanting to Have Three Walls Up Before She Gets Home" and it really resonated, so I decided to buy the book. It's nice to have some short stories sometimes, when I don't have time or energy to get invested in a whole novel.
-"Another." Since this is the first story in the collection, I thought I was going to love the collection...
-"Your Mother and I." This story just made me laugh, all the amazing and silly things the dad says he and the mother did together. And it seemed like at the end when the mother appears that he really loves her and maybe all the stories he told were really just expressing how much he loved her and how it felt like they had done such amazing things together in the world and the world is better because he knew her.
-"About the Man Who Began Flying After Meeting Her." Another very short story, a nice little snapshot about picturing your future with someone, who you'll be with that person in your future. But it could be different with someone else...
-"Up the Mountain Coming Down Slowly." So actually I didn't enjoy reading most of this one because it was slow and I just couldn't care about the main character for most of it, but the end killed me so that made it stick. Read to the end of this one, even if you want to skim most of the beginning.
-"When They Learned to Yelp." I like how this story made the emotion into a very visceral response/experience.
-"After I Was Thrown in the River and Before I Drowned." I like the dog's perspective. I could've done without the second-to-last paragraph, it didn't make much sense really, but I like the last line, which is also the last line of the book: "Everyone in the life before was cranky, I think, because they just wanted to know." About God. Mystery, I think.
-Every story does tie into the title in some way, deep desires and whatnot, for better or worse.

THE MAIN THING I DIDN'T LIKE:
-The story "Quiet." In reading reviews, I've seen that some people really like this story. Someone can feel free to tell me WHYYYYYY. In short, this story is about a man who might describe himself as a "nice guy" but then he rapes his friend. I thought about chucking the book right then.

OTHER THINGS:
-I felt that the characters overall were pretty flat.
-While Eggers had some interesting turns of phrase now and then, a lot of the writing could have been thrown out in my opinion, sections that didn't move the story or character development forward. Especially in "The Only Meaning of the Oil-Wet Water" and "Climbing to the Window, Pretending to Dance."
-I now remember why I don't read post-modern lit like this very often, where the major themes are suicide, unsatisfying sex, dysfunctional friendships/relationships, and the occasional rape.
-If this were just the stories I wrote about liking, I'd probably give the collection 4 to 4.5 stars. But as it is, I can't commit to a number of stars.

I like Eggers' writing style and way of phrasing, but I think that short stories aren't really his forte.

His characters and stories are quirky and strange, but I really think that they need the development and length that come from a full-length novel. Short stories leave the reader a little wanting. That probably explains why some of my favorites from the collection were those that were longest ("Notes for a Story of a Man Who Will Not Die Alone," "Up the Mountain Coming Down Slowly," "Climbing to the Window, Pretending to Dance").

It was neat, however, to see some of the characters from his other books integrated into his short stories, and some of the stories are from interesting perspectives (e.g., a dog) that you might not expect. Overall a good read, but if I have a hankering for the writer's voice, I'll pick up one of his full-length novels.

It took me too long to finish this book. But, only because it is difficult to find collections of short stories that I love so much, so so much, that I don’t want it to end. 4.5 stars, rounded down. But man, do I love short stories.

I would give it three and a half stars, but since I'm such an optimist, I rounded up. So. I like Dave Eggers. His voice is warm and he seems like he could be a friend to all. Or to some. To me, at least. He seems like someone in a graduate program that is, like, REALLY good. And you are jealous of him because his writing is really good, but you can't hate him too much because he is also quite likable. That being said, sometimes I long for more in his work. Or maybe it's not that I long for more, perhaps I just have to read him in small doses. Still, a great writer.

Dave Eggers never ceases to impress. His use of metaphor and simile not only shatters the cliché, but stretches into realms of surrealism without losing depth of meaning. I have to make special note of one story in particular, "Quiet". I must have read this story half a dozen times in succession not only because it was a wonderful read; but the way Dave structures the story, I believe he intended it to be read and reread. Incredible. I can not praise this book highly enough.

flash fiction that is a little more focused on emotional incisiveness than it is on the typical flash fiction sudden epiphany; eggers often locates moments of great sadness and tragedy and microscopically looks at one emotional aspect. a wife and husband has lost their child, but when a friend who loses his wife seeks to comisserate with them, they respond only with anger. eggers is great at capturing this sort of thing. he is also very silly, and those short stories - for example, one about what kind of literature bears like to read - offsets the weight of this book. its good, short, and sharp. you can read it in an hour.

(en dat terwijl ik nog twee verhalen te gaan heb)