{Review} Forever - and Other Stories by Christopher Geoffrey McPherson

ASIN #: B007ZDBJPU

File Size: 232 KB

Page Count: 109

Book Summary:

(Taken from Goodreads)

A collection of eleven short stories -- many based on actual events. Includes:

"The Little Books That Ran Away" a story for children about what happens to books that are not appreciated

"A Walk in the Evening Fog" about a man blinded in an automobile accident many years before

"An Untitled Life" about a secret family history a grandmother reveals to her grandson

"Reflections in a Broken Mirror" which takes place in the last second of the life of a man who has just cut open a vein in his arm

"The Thickness of Blood" about a young man who has to make a painful decision

"Forever" a story of two souls that continue meeting in one life after another

(Several stories include adult content.)

Kathy's Review:

It's hard to classify this group of short stories as they are all so different, although the author uses some of the names of the characters in multiple stories (e.g. Taylor, Robert, Jeff). Many of them center around a common theme of a lost or deceased lover, and many involve gay couples. Some are light-hearted, some are very dark, violent and sexually charged.

There's no doubt that the author is a skilled writer. His descriptive words are almost poetic. In most of the stories, he purposely disorients you so you're unclear as to what is going on. Then, slowly, he drops clues here and there. Some are easy to figure out; others will keep you guessing until the very end. Some are like a slap in the face but others left me wanting more of a resolution. Because these stories are short, he quickly establishes the characters and does a great job of drawing in the reader.

"Forever" is the longest of these short stories and explores the idea of past lives - are we destined to repeat the same love story over and over? This was probably one of my favorites of this collection. "Le Rendez-vous dans le Parc" hearkens a Cinderella-type story, except in this one, the Prince is a no-show at midnight. Another one I enjoyed was "...for her Convenience" where a woman sees her lover with "a blond" at her party, and catches them kissing.

Not sure if this was just in the .mobi version I downloaded, or in all versions, but each story alternated between paragraphs of bold type and non-bold type. It didn't seem to serve a purpose and was, for the most part, distracting. Might just be a publishing error or something.

This is an intriguing collection of stories that I read through in an afternoon. I'd recommend this for readers who appreciate the artistry that goes into composing the written word, although the subject matter is a little bit heavy-handed at times.


*A Smashwords coupon for a free download was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.