When Chapel Hill born and bred writer Ben Fountain (1958 – present) came to speak at my university, I eagerly searched his work on Wikipedia. To my surprise, I saw he had achieved much more than I initially thought.

When my fiction writing professor asked me to read one of his stories before attending Fountain's lecture, I chose "Near-Extinct Birds of the Central Cordillera" and was instantly captivated. Now, having finally finished his 2006 Brief Encounters with Che Guevara, I'm filled with regret for not knowing what questions to ask him when the answers were right there in his pen.

Because Brief Encounters is truly a teaching text. It has taught a writing student like myself so much at this ideal age for someone taking up the craft. Fountain's stories measure human oddity from the inside of the worldly turbulence he writes about. At first, as readers, we may be taken aback, but we quickly begin to see the oddities for what they are: human. That is to say, we observe intimately and with empathy.

On the idea of "writing from the inside," Fountain brilliantly situates readers through his characters. In "Near-Extinct Birds," we see Columbian revolutionaries through the eyes of a grad student ornithologist. In "Fantasy for Eleven Fingers," we witness Pre-War anti-Semitism pitted against a child pianist crushed by her own talent. Besides his obvious diligent research, Fountain's dual conflicts allow us to experience the intimacy of one through the debilitating worldly weight of the other.

Stacked up against his mountain of research - Fountain told me during his lecture that the 31-page "Near-Extinct Birds" came from nearly 500 pages of notebook paper - it might seem questionable to claim an intimacy in this collection. On the contrary, though; intimacy is what drives the reader to keep going. We feel a range of emotions - confused, angry, lost, guilty, and hopeful - alongside each of the well-meaning protagonists. We find ourselves equally stuck within the systems they can't control, to the point where we forget they're fictional. But then we remember most of these systems are not; jolted, we are probed under the ribs for thinking that the fiction in Brief Encounters was ever just a story.

From the privileged side of the page, we become angry. We scorn the outside that we suddenly can look at from within. We recognize just how personal writing Brief Encounters with Che Guevara must have been for Ben Fountain because we recognize, hopefully, a newfound personal attachment of our own. His stories in this collection have taught me the political nature of art and the necessary emotion that drives your advocacy for the causes you care about. With Fountain as a guide, I hope to begin identifying what I care about enough to write one of the great story collections of the decade.

This is a captivating collection of stories that delves into the diverse ways in which we encounter captivity.

The settings predominantly span third world countries such as Colombia, Haiti, Sierra Leone, and Cuba, culminating in the unexpected geography of Vienna.

The emotions evoked within these tales are a complex blend. At times, they are excruciatingly brutal, yet there is a hint of sweetness. They can be frightening, yet also eloquent. Primarily, they are hauntingly comforting, a discovery that came as a great surprise to me as I unearthed the theme.

Although I seldom give it much thought, the cover of this collection piques my interest. It portrays some rather common birds that appear free and ordinary. It's an odd choice, and I find myself eager to understand this aspect in greater depth.

The author hails from Dallas, which adds an additional layer of intrigue for me. I wonder what experiences and perspectives from that city might have influenced the creation of these captivating stories.

Deeply rich, smart stories are brought to life with a journalist’s discerning eye, a satirist’s sharp wit, and an empath’s compassionate heart. Each and every story has the feel of a mini-novel, carefully crafted by an author who is not afraid to venture out and embrace experiences that are far beyond the ordinary.

These stories are a testament to the power of short fiction, showing what it can achieve when written with such skill and passion. They draw the reader in, making them care about the characters and their plights, and leaving them with a sense of satisfaction and wonder.

What all short fiction should aspire to is this level of depth, complexity, and emotional resonance. To be able to tell a complete and engaging story in a short space is no easy feat, but this author has managed to do it with great aplomb.

Whether you are a fan of short fiction or not, these stories are well worth reading for their unique blend of style, substance, and heart.

Truly wonderful short fiction is an absolute thrill.

It is a shock to the system when one witnesses an incredibly gifted writer bring to life a taut, brief work that is as dense and captivating as something ten times its page count. This collection ranks among the best of Flannery O’Connor, Kurt Vonnegut, Alice Munro, and any of their ilk!

The majority of the stories center around wayward Americans in foreign lands, often finding themselves in situations beyond their control. These tales reflect the self-interest and moral ambiguity that characterizes the worst of that nation's impulses, even in what initially appear to be black and white situations.

The book gains momentum as it progresses, culminating in a truly remarkable outlier: 'Fantasy for Eleven Fingers.' This piece of faux-biography is a masterclass in itself, with such exquisite detail that it nearly overshadows its delightfully rich ending.

The level of character development, concise plotting, and emotional payoff in these stories is simply excellent. I am thoroughly delighted.

I usually don't have a penchant for short story collections. The reason being that a significant number of them are not of high quality. However, this particular one was so exquisitely written that I truly relished it.

Out of all the stories, there were only two that I didn't have a great affinity for, namely the third and the last one. Nevertheless, even in those cases, the writing was of a very high standard. It simply boiled down to personal preferences.

All of the short stories in this collection delve into some aspect of countries experiencing political upheaval. This is especially true for developing countries or those that were embroiled in the communist struggle. The situations presented are often arduous, lacking clear-cut solutions. The way Fountain writes truly manages to convey this sense of grappling to make sense of complex issues and ethical dilemmas when one finds oneself in a position with limited choices.

It is this ability of Fountain to bring to life the turmoil and confusion of such situations that makes this short story collection a remarkable read. It forces the reader to confront the harsh realities of the world and think deeply about the choices that we make in difficult circumstances.

When I first caught sight of the title of this collection, an immediate sense of curiosity welled up within me, and I knew without a doubt that I simply had to read it. For those who are familiar with me, it was an absolute perfect fit, truly very "me."

All of the stories within this collection were remarkable in their own right. In terms of plot, character development, and the quality of the prose, they were all of a high standard. However, four stories in particular managed to stand out and capture my attention more than the others. These were: "Near-Extinct Birds of the Central Cordillera," "Bouki and the Cocaine," "Brief Encounters with Che Guevara," and "Fantasy for Eleven Fingers."

Moreover, it is truly impressive to note that either Ben Fountain has actually traveled to all of these diverse and far-flung places such as Haiti, Colombia, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, and many others, or he possesses an extraordinary talent for vividly evoking a lush and detailed sense of place. It is quite possible that he has both the experience of travel and the gift of descriptive writing, which combine to make this collection a truly engaging and captivating read.

I don't usually like short stories. However, these particular short stories are truly remarkable.

They are themed on social action or at least social conscience. This makes them stand out from the typical short stories that I have come across.

The authors have managed to capture the essence of important social issues and present them in a concise and engaging manner.

Each story has the power to make the reader think and reflect on the world around them.

Whether it is about inequality, discrimination, or the need for change, these short stories have a message that is both relevant and timely.

I found myself completely immersed in these stories, and I was left with a sense of inspiration and a desire to take action.

Overall, I would highly recommend these short stories to anyone who is interested in exploring social issues through the medium of literature.

This is not a novel, but short stories.

Personally, I don't have a great affection for short stories because often, a good one just isn't satisfying enough. It leaves you with a sense of longing, as if there should be more.

However, this particular collection was truly remarkable! It closely adhered to many of my international political interests.

It vividly illuminated the role that power and greed play in our world.

We must have the courage to lay bare the real motives that are currently causing the destruction of the earth and the great suffering of its people.

By understanding these motives, perhaps we can take steps to address the issues and work towards a more just and sustainable future.

This collection of short stories served as a powerful reminder of the importance of being aware of the forces at work in our world and taking responsibility for the consequences of our actions.

These are truly fascinating stories about people from all around the world.

They offer a unique and valuable perspective, allowing you to gain a deep understanding of the viewpoints of people in both developed and underdeveloped countries.

In developed countries, people often have access to better education, healthcare, and a higher standard of living. Their perspectives may be shaped by these advantages, focusing on issues such as career development, personal growth, and environmental protection.

On the other hand, in underdeveloped countries, people may face more challenges and hardships. Their viewpoints may be centered around basic survival needs, such as food, shelter, and clean water. They may also be more concerned with issues such as poverty alleviation, social inequality, and access to education and healthcare.

By exploring these stories, you can broaden your horizons and gain a more comprehensive understanding of the world we live in.

It's extremely challenging to rate a short story book.

Should one rate based on the overall impression of the entire collection? Or calculate an average among the would-be ratings of each individual story?

If there is a single story that truly deserves a 5-star rating, yet all the other stories fail to capture one's attention, does the overall rating increase?

In this particular case, I truly liked the last story and found the first one to be quite interesting. However, all the other stories didn't manage to catch my attention.

Overall, I have a suspicion that I won't be remembering this book to a great extent in the future. It seems that while there were a couple of亮点, the majority of the stories didn't leave a lasting impression.

Perhaps a more in-depth analysis of each story would be needed to give a more accurate rating, but based on my initial reading, it's difficult to give this book a very high score.

I came across this book rather late and in an unexpected way.

Late, because it was published back in 2006. And through the back door, so to speak, by means of reading about Ben Fountain in the Malcolm Gladwell essay titled 'Late Bloomers: Why Do We Equate Genius with Precocity' which is found in his book 'What the Dog Saw'.

This book is an absolute delight to read. The characters, their troublesome situations, and the countries they live in have really stayed with me. Haiti, Sierra Leone, Burma, and 19th century Vienna (quite a departure from the others) are all vivid and complex. The characters are confronted with political turmoil and have to make tough choices.

I don't usually have a penchant for short stories. To blatantly quote from an Amazon 5-star review, ".....especially the kind that appear in places like 'The New Yorker' (which is otherwise an exemplary magazine) - for the most part, it seems to me that these stories are humorless, shapeless chronicles of middle class angst....."

However, these stories are anything but that. They are engaging, thought-provoking, and offer a unique perspective on different cultures and experiences.

Ben Fountain offers yet another delightful book.

This time, it consists of 8 stories, mainly set in Haiti, featuring a diverse range of characters and interests.

In sequence, an ornithologist gets captured by rebels. A smuggler of rare butterflies contributes to financing the rebellion. A U.S. soldier on leave discloses his voodoo involvement, much to his wife's consternation. A professional golfer discovers corruption in Myanmar. An aid worker makes the decision to move a few diamonds. There are also some intriguing thoughts about Che. And the story from Europe is about not one, but two eleven-fingered pianists.

It's truly a pleasure to read and explore these engaging tales that take the readers on a journey through different lives and experiences.

Enjoy the captivating world that Ben Fountain has created in this collection of stories.