Pieces like Pottery
By Dan Buri
This is a collection of short stories, a very nice and delicate book that speaks to your heart and plays on your emotion as a reader. It’s original and reminds me of those Chicken Soup stories I used to read when I was younger, not because it’s a collection of short stories but because it has that realism and ‘life lessons’ type of theme.
The first thing I want to say about this book is that the cover is very nice. It definitely speaks to what kind of book this is, very calming and very meaningful. Before you open a book its important to grasp what may be inside. People really do judge a book by its cover so having such a beautiful picture for the cover is especially inviting, it only adds to the enjoyment that waits inside.
The title, ‘Pieces like Pottery’ fits this book very well. You can look at this book in two ways; everything coming together, or everything falling apart. Both ways have meaning to them and they will have an impact on you as a reader. I think the title is very clever; it definitely engaged me as a reader and brought in another layer of understanding beyond the book itself.
The stories in this book aren’t heart-wrenching but they make you think, they make you appreciate your family, and even love yourself. Themes such as love, marriage, self-esteem, and more are addressed in this piece. It is something that readers of all ages can pick up and enjoy but I think younger audiences will probably appreciate it the most.
The stories were good but I think the narration lacked a little for me. It was omniscient but it felt VERY distant, almost to the point where the story felt bland when there was supposed to be more emotion. That may have been due to a lack in detail/description but you can only expect so much from stories that aren’t more than thirty pages long. I did enjoy the stories but I didn’t feel part of them. I did not connect with the characters in a way I could have if the narration had been first person or if there had just been a bit more detail in some of the scenes. I would have liked to see more facial expressions and feel the emotion.
Despite my complaint, I did enjoy this book. Buri is a good writer who has a knack for telling stories. I hope to see more from him in the future.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*