Loved it! I have two favorite stories from this collection, "Notes for a Story of a Man Who Will Not Die Alone" and "On Things He Should Keep to Himself." I don't want to give too much away, but for an idea, the "Notes for a Story" is literally that. Eggers begins the story as an outline or brainstorming of what he will write in this tale. As he goes through the basic plot, he writes the things that he will flesh out later, but we don't get to see that, all we see is the beginning of the process. So for example, he talks about the Man's son -- David, Derek, Dennis -- and then later calls him Derek. I thought it was a great look at the process of writing a story. Because they are short stories and the collection itself is slim, this is a quick read. I highly recommend it. And more Eggers' books are on my "to-read" list.

I love Dave Eggers’ seemingly effortless writing style. He has the rare ability to transport you to the other side of the world with just one or two simple sentences. My favorite author. ❤️

This was a very interesting book. I'd seen it listed on things like Amazon, but hadn't seen a hard copy until recently. Physically speaking, the book is small. It's broken into several (40+) short stories that vary from two sentences to (roughly) 300 wds.

Each story is a glimpse into the head of someone different than you. So you see thought processes, justifications, feelings of others. For me, the overall impact of the book was more an impression than a narrative, which provided a unique reading experience.

I'd recommend getting this book from your local library and reading it in one (or two) sittings, while drinking coffee in the a.m.

Short story collections by one author seem to rather hit or miss for me. So was this one. But, i feel these three stories more than make up for some of them. I'm also not sure if I would enjoy this more in say ten or fifteen years. Some of these stories did strike a chord with me. Things like regret, disappointment, relationships with long friends that sometimes just eventually break down, but also things like re-awakenings and new looks at life.

"The Only Meaning of the Oil-Wet Water"

"Climbing to the Window, Pretending to Dance"

"Up the Mountain Coming Down Slowly"

Like your wardrobe, this book is incohesive, comfortable, curious and cozy. Instead of getting furious because nothing fits together and it's impossible for you to create a suitable outfit, just pause, take a thoughtful second glance, and appreciate that despite it all, you own a collection of hand-selected garments that are individually interesting, eclectic, and varied. Not all of us can show up at the party lookin' all What is the What.

I really liked the way the stories alternate from long, involved tales to brief snapshots. Sometimes the stories don't go anywhere, and that's okay. You just float in a moment. Or glimpse a character's thought process.

Eventually, you let go of the expectation that the story will lead you, over character archs and surprising plot twists, to a place of resolution and finality. Instead, you appreciate the more subtle parts of excellent storytelling, like details and language and descriptions like, "the streamlined, utilitarian body of a tomboy teenager." Any one of Egger's shorter pieces could be performed at a poetry reading. And maybe they should be.

You wonder about his writing methodology. Does he keep a running list of one-line prose poems ("Climbing to the Window, Pretending to Dance") and later revisit his list, expounding until it becomes a short story or longer piece of prose poetry?

Eggers gets away with things that are hard to pull off, like skipping a description of the setting and instead opting to break from the narrative for a brief dialogue between the clouds and the treetops. Shit, I hadn't even wondered what they were thinking, no less entertained the possibility of these objects as telling, feeling, descriptive characters. It's these little touches that makes it worthwhile to hang on and endure this break from Egger's typical form.

I doubt I will every find a book of short stories that I will love more than this.

Ah Dave... I love this man's writing. I don't think I've ever read any of his short stories before and they are just as strange, varied and profound as his novels. His lyrical, casual and yet exacting writing style invites me in closer and then he succeeds in taking me somewhere I've never been before... into absurd conversations with parents, into a dog's joyous mind, into a man's cruel yet understandable desire; all people struggling to find themselves. This is always a pleasing journey for me to take with Dave Eggers at the helm.

I read only a few sentences in this book while browsing the library. all of the sentences were incorrect sentences. this did not please me.

How We Are Hungry is the first time I am reading anything of Dave Eggers.

A few years ago, 'After I Was Thrown in the River And Before I Drowned', the last story in this collection, was recommended reading for one of my classes. I read the first part, thought the person who wrote it was high and moved on.

I was quite glad it was the last story, because the stories preceding it were the ones that convinced me to give it another shot. It really takes a while to get into the rhythm of this book (or maybe that's just me), but once I did, I found it to be quite enjoyable.

It's a bit strange though, because I feel like every seemingly mindless, mundane story is a metaphor for something profound and inexplicable. (Then again, maybe that's still just me.) It's kind of annoying. I loathe authors inserting so many weird symbolisms that they expect everyone to get. It's not like all of us can have epiphanies after every story. The latter stories more than make up for it though.

I fell in love with 'Notes for a Story of a Man Who Will Not Die Alone' and 'When They Learned To Yelp'.

As for 'After I Was Thrown in the River,' I'm happy I read through to the end this time.

Eggers turns the short story form into an adventure tale for the reader, showing both the exuberance and baser natures of humanity.

"Notes for a Story of a Man Who Will Not Die Alone" purports to be just that, but ends up being quite a good short story in itself! What a way to leave this world!

"After I was Thrown in the River and Before I Drowned" is quite an exciting tale though it is basically a simple tale told from a dog's point of view. Just a story of your average wild and crazy dog racing around aimlessly, but then one day overextending himself and dying. The story ends with a surprising description of doggie heaven--and why people on earth are cranky!

A great collection of stories told by a superlative spinner of wonder!

Notes for a Story of a Man Who Will Not Die Alone
Up the Mountain Coming Down Slowly❣️

Quiet not worth reading

i listened to this book while commuting around MN and WI my first week home for a visit from shanghai. i was reading "a heartbreaking work..." at the same time. i liked to two together, you may want to try it! there is a wonderful story from the perspective dog, a description of surfing that made me understand how it works and probably feels (yet still think its a skill i may never learn), and lots of great moments that showed nicely the failings of the narrators as very real humans. maybe i will go back and actually read it sometime.