It is no exaggeration to state that each of the eight stories in Ben Fountain's collection is truly extraordinary.

Frequently delving into how the merciless politics and ceaseless civil violence in places ranging from Colombia to Haiti to Sierra Leone give rise to horrific injustice and suffering, Fountain has a remarkable talent for fabricating narratives that are infused with an abundance of compassion, all the while punctuated with hints of dark humor.

His stories have the power to entrance with adventure and suspense, mystery and absurdity, often being both deeply heartfelt and heart-wrenching. He weaves beautiful, propulsive prose, where each sentence operates with such depth and insight that it is like a poem.

He captures landscapes and cityscapes with captivating details, and he ensnares his characters in moral dilemmas that make your heart race.

"Brief Encounters with Che Guevara" demands attention with its unwavering tenacity to both dazzle the senses and compel you into essential reflection about the hardships endured by countless people around the world.

Overall, the stories are staggeringly good. Fountain is a highly skilled, patient, and deeply gifted fiction writer. This collection is certain to claim its place as one of my all-time favorite short story collections.

If I were held at gunpoint and forced to identify the weak links, they would be the title story and the final story. Some might view the title of the collection as deceptive, but perhaps writing believable fiction about historical characters as vivid as Che Guevara is nearly impossible.

And who am I to judge, considering my own first collection, "A Field Guide to Murder & Fly Fishing," has also been criticized for its deceptive title? In the end, what's especially remarkable is that there are so few weak links. As with any excellent fiction collection, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and almost all of these stories would also be powerful and affecting as stand-alone pieces. Bravissimo!

I randomly picked up this book at a 2nd and Charles simply because I was attracted by its cover. And I'm extremely glad that I did so!

This is a truly thoughtful and thought-provoking collection of stories. It's not a collection that I could breeze through. In fact, some of the stories were not easy to read due to their content. They delved deep into various aspects of life, emotions, and human nature, making me stop and reflect.

After reading this, I'm definitely going to check out what other works this author has published. I'm eager to explore more of their literary creations and see what other gems they have in store.

As for the Popsugar Reading Challenge 2021, this book fulfilled the prompt of "A book with a bird on the cover." It was a wonderful discovery that not only met the challenge but also provided me with a rich and rewarding reading experience.

A collection that truly embodies the Graham Greene genre of innocent and idealistic Americans ensnared in the convoluted corruption of third-world countries. However, unlike Greene, who showed that such naivete, combined with the typical American "gung-ho," "get-it-done" mentality, can prove dangerous, Fountain, in at least a couple of these stories, offers a glimmer of hope. He suggests that the little guy can sometimes achieve a small-scale victory against the more powerful forces that usually oppose him or her, as seen in "The Lion's Mouth."

Fountain's stories span the globe, with settings in Columbia, Haiti, Sierra Leone, Burma, and Vienna.

These are remarkable stories that merit all the critical acclaim they have received. They go beyond the ordinary exploration of relationship complexities to examine the dilemmas people face when confronted with untenable political situations in countries where everyone - the government, business leaders, and revolutionaries with hypocritical claims of having the people's best interests at heart - is corrupt, and all traditional moral compasses are disregarded and abandoned.

It's a complex blend that only the most talented writers, like Greene, can manage, and Fountain clearly shows that he belongs in this category.

These are the kind of thought-provoking stories that make you wonder, "What would I do in such an impossible situation?" For example, as you read "The Lion's Mouth," you can't help but question what you would do if faced with the same dilemma as the protagonist: protect yourself in a hostile situation where tragedies will continue to unfold regardless of what you do, or risk your life to save a small group of people who will surely be slaughtered if you don't intervene.

The stories are filled with engaging drama and well-developed characters, making them enjoyable to read. But they are also the kind of "big think" pieces that make you ponder the world's problems and wonder what you could be doing to address them, and what the consequences might be of our typical complacency towards these seemingly insurmountable issues.

The 8 stories in the collection are:

1. Near-Extinct Birds of the Central Cordillera - 31 pp - An outstanding story about an ornithologist (John Blair) studying rare birds in Columbia who is captured by communist revolutionaries. It provides a vivid portrayal of the unholy compromises made by revolutionaries and how the grand goals of idealists can never be achieved once the "realists" sit down and strike a deal.

2. Reve Haitien - 19 pp - Set after Haitian rebels ousted Aristide, an O.A.S. observer named Mason plays chess with the locals in a park and lets them win, thinking he's doing a good deed by giving the downtrodden locals a sense of hope and confidence. But a local man who is a brilliant player beats Mason and realizes his ulterior motive. This man, a former medical student now part of a rebel group, wants Mason to help the people in a more meaningful way - by smuggling treasured Haitian paintings out of the country to buy guns. Mason becomes caught up in the "dream of doing something real, something worthy."

3. The Good Ones Are Already Taken - 32 pp - A young wife of a Marine Special Forces unit member is eager for her husband to return from his tour in Haiti, but when he does, she discovers he "married" a voodoo goddess. Since he "sleeps" with the goddess on Tuesdays and Saturdays, he can't have sex with her on those nights. She doesn't know what to do, especially because in every other way he treats her even better than before. She consults a cousin who is a psychic for guidance on how to handle the situation.

4. Asian Tiger - 33 pp - Sonny Grous, a former golfer who won a few tournaments in his 20s, becomes the "golf pro" at a resort in Myanmar (formerly Burma), where he teaches golf to the generals running the country and serves as a pawn for an American businessman making crooked deals with the corrupt generals.

5. Bouki and the Cocaine - 28 pp - A Haitian fisherman, Syto, keeps finding duffel bags of cocaine stashed on the beach by smugglers using the island as a drop-off point for drugs en route from Colombia to Miami. First, he goes to the local police, who end up with fancy cars after he turns in the contraband. Then he turns to a trusted senator, who uses the stolen goods for equally corrupt purposes. When Syto finds a stash for the third time, he has to decide what to do, as he doesn't want to be a stooge, or a "Bouki," in local lore. As he struggles to figure out what to do, the police and American helicopter patrols are hot on his trail, suspecting he's up to something.

6. The Lion's Mouth - 36 pp - Jill, a relief worker in Sierra Leone, gets involved with a "blood diamond" merchant and agrees to help him when a European embargo shuts down his exporting operation. She has become sexually involved with the older, unattractive merchant but has an ulterior motive for helping him. The sewing co-op she established to employ local women who had their arms severed by the local rebels is at risk of losing its funding. (There's a powerful image of these women working together to do a job that one "whole" woman could do.) When Jill travels to make the exchange of diamonds for cash, she encounters another horror - a group of rebels ready to pillage another town and massacre its residents. She is faced with an impossible choice: save herself and risk letting these villagers be massacred, or put herself at risk to save them and thereby lose the co-op that has created a better life for previous victims of the same violence.

7. Brief Encounters with Che Guevara - 20 pp - A young man fascinated with Che Guevara meets, at different stages of his life, people who had contact with the famous revolutionary: the beautiful wife of an academic at the university where his father taught, who may have had an affair with Che in Cuba; a co-worker at a low-paying job who may have been part of the squad that executed Che; the wife of a philandering Haitian doctor who listens to recordings of Che giving speeches that serve as the "music that spoke all the longing and truth and hurt that we couldn't talk about in ordinary conversation"; and a now-crazy man who may have served with Che in the Cuban government, a man the narrator revisits when Che's remains are found and relocated to Cuba, causing the narrator to ponder Che's legacy: "as life becomes more pleasurable for the rest of us, the poor seem more remote than ever, their appeal to our humanity even fainter."

8. Fantasy for Eleven Fingers - 27 pp - A significant departure from the rest of the collection in both setting and period. Instead of the contemporary third world, this story takes place in Vienna in the 1800s. Fountain's extensive knowledge, so impressively shown in his insights about third world history and politics, is clearly even broader, as this piece demonstrates an equally in-depth understanding of 19th-century European history and the world - and terminology - of classical music. Two musicians are depicted - an early 19th-century virtuoso with a birth defect - 11 fingers - that enabled him to play a complex piece no other pianist could, and a child prodigy born at the end of the century with the same defect and exceptional talent. She may be the only one who can perform the piece that made her predecessor famous (the story's title is its name), but she has to contend with an even more menacing challenge than he did - the rampant anti-Semitism sweeping across the continent.

While I seldom read short story collections, this particular one has truly piqued my curiosity and made me wonder why I don't do it more often. I'd definitely give it a solid 3.5 stars. The reason being that each story within this collection is not only incredibly insightful but also written with such finesse and skill.

Fountain has a remarkable talent for quickly pulling the reader into the plot and introducing the characters in a way that makes each short story feel like a fully-fledged novella. There is no wasted time or unnecessary fluff.

One of my absolute favorite character descriptors from this collection is, "She had a congenital distrust of money and luxury, her militant asceticism further aggravated by a very low tolerance for boredom." This description is so vivid and engaging, it really brings the character to life in my mind.

The writing throughout the entire collection is simply wonderful. It's clear that Fountain is a master of the short story form, and I can't wait to see what else he has in store for readers.

I'm not a big enthusiast of short stories. However, this particular collection stands out as an exception.

After reading Billy Lynn, I simply had to explore more of Ben Fountain's works. And this one did not let me down.

The stories in this collection are engaging, thought-provoking, and beautifully written. They offer unique perspectives on various aspects of life, human nature, and society.

Each story has its own charm and depth, drawing the reader in and making them reluctant to put the book down.

I found myself completely immersed in the worlds that Ben Fountain has created.

I am now eagerly looking forward to whatever he comes up with next. I have no doubt that it will be just as精彩 and captivating as his previous works.

Overall, this collection is a must-read for anyone who appreciates good literature. It has truly changed my perception of short stories and has made me a fan of Ben Fountain.

I highly recommend it to others.

In this lush prose, we are transported to a world where characters find themselves rubbing shoulders with the temporarily-inhabited third world.

The vivid descriptions paint a picture of a place that is both foreign and full of life. The characters, perhaps adventurers or explorers, navigate the bustling streets and encounter the diverse cultures and people that call this place home.

As they move through the third world, they are exposed to its unique charm and challenges. The sounds, smells, and sights assault their senses, leaving them with a profound sense of awe and wonder.

They interact with the locals, learning their stories and traditions, and in doing so, they gain a deeper understanding of this temporarily-inhabited world.

The prose weaves a tale of discovery and connection, inviting the reader to join the characters on their journey and experience the magic of the third world for themselves.

It's the first time I've delved into the works of Ben Fountain, and I'm already hooked, with a strong intention to explore more of his literary creations.

Each and every one of the short stories in this remarkable book has an irresistible allure that sucks you in, compelling you to follow the narrative thread until you simply have to know where it leads.

However, it should be noted that the last story in the collection did have a slightly slower pace, perhaps causing a bit of a lull in the otherwise engaging flow.

Nevertheless, what truly sets this collection apart is the perfect blend of humor with elements of politics and revolution. It's a unique combination that keeps the reader constantly entertained and intellectually stimulated.

Overall, my initial encounter with Ben Fountain's writing has been a thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking experience.

I had an extremely tough time with this book. The writing is of first-class quality.

I was transported into the jungles, hiding from corrupt killers, blood diamond smugglers, and more.

The truths that the book unfolds are that we humans often fail to do much good and are easily corrupted or overwhelmed by power, whether it be from the government, rebels, or gangs.

The stories could easily pass as non-fiction. The short stories, including some even shorter ones within, invariably made me feel depressed about humankind.

The final one, "Fantasy For Eleven Fingers," is different. It is a fiction that places us in the 1800s with the mythical 11-fingered piano genius Anton Visser and later the child prodigy Anna Kuhl. It's quite a remarkable journey!

Finally, the author, Ben Fountain, is an expert on Haiti. He truly has an in-depth knowledge of what he writes. One quote begins, "Throughout my thirties I kept going to Haiti, convinced I'd found ground zero for all the stupidity, waste..." Then he shows us a close-up fictional portrayal. The various depictions of rebels range from those greedy for money to a romantic comparison of the body of dead Che Guevara to Christ's. Che gets off relatively easy, as do some others fighting tyrannical and oppressive governments.

This book is a complex and thought-provoking read that delves into the darker aspects of human nature and the realities of a troubled world.

At first glance, I had a hunch that this would be either similar to DFW’s Brief Interviews with Hideous Men or the Motorcycle Diaries.

Although it does have a slightly unfortunate name, my doubts end there.

Brief Encounters with Che Guevara is a collection of eight rich stories.

Mostly, it features earnest American ‘protagonists’ in strange, abstractedly revolutionary circumstances.

For instance, an ornithologist from Duke finds himself held captive in the jungles of Colombia.

A Texan golfer scopes out new golf courses in the south of Myanmar and discovers a gruesome scene awaiting him.

An (American again) aid worker bargains with a group of unstable, armed teenage rebels in the heart of Sierra Leone’s civil conflict.

And many other stories are tied back to Haiti, with elements such as violence in Port au Prince, American occupation, and voodoo.

Brief Encounters with Che Guevara is written by Ben Fountain, who I hadn't heard much of before.

However, he has received impressive acclaim from both Malcolm Gladwell and a favourite of mine, Geoff Dyer (the author of But Beautiful).

This makes me even more intrigued to explore this collection of stories and see what Fountain has to offer.

While reading this book, I continuously found myself reflecting on something a friend had said regarding another collection of short stories by a different author.

My friend had commented, "They were very well crafted, but I couldn't help but wonder why someone would bother to go through the trouble of writing them."

In this book, too, some of the stories seemed to drag on a little. They lacked the necessary pace and excitement to keep the reader fully engaged.

On the other hand, there were those stories that zipped along at a brisk pace, initially captivating the reader. However, they would suddenly run into a brick wall of an ending.

The endings were often abrupt, leaving the reader feeling unsatisfied and unfulfilled.

It was a disappointment to encounter such flaws in a book that had shown potential.

Ah well, there's always the next book to look forward to. Maybe that one will provide the engaging and satisfying reading experience that this one lacked.

This book was rather hit and miss.

Some of the stories within it were truly excellent. For instance, "Near-extinct birds of the Central Cordillera" was a captivating piece that provided in-depth knowledge and a vivid description of the endangered avian species in that particular region.

Another outstanding story was "Fantasy for Eleven Fingers", which had a unique and imaginative plot that kept the reader engaged from start to finish.

However, on the flip side, many of the other stories in the book simply did not manage to capture my attention. They seemed平淡 or lacked the necessary elements to make them truly interesting or engaging.

Overall, while there were some real gems in this book, the inconsistent quality of the stories made it a somewhat mixed bag.