Bang Crunch: Stories

by Neil Smith

An audacious New Face of Fiction debut: nine riveting stories that announce a major writer in the tradition of Yann Martel and Barbara Gowdy.

Unexpected humour and tenderness intertwine with loneliness and hopefulness in this remarkable book from an already acclaimed writer. In nine richly varied stories, written in intense, clear-eyed prose, the reader is led into an exploration of the human need for connection, however tenuous or absurd, and at whatever cost. The stories operate with heartbreaking precision, drawing us past the surface of characters’ lives and into the moments of decision and recognition that shape these people irrevocably.

Here are stories striking in the range of their shifting tone and the reach of their subjects. We are introduced to a support group for people who suspect their benign nature has caused benign tumours to grow inside them. The title story zeroes in on a girl with Fred Hoyle syndrome whose age expands and contracts like the universe. A recently widowed woman talks to her husband’s ashes, which are entombed in a hollowed-out curling stone. A store detective’s valiant act to save a pair of pink calfskin gloves is entwined with the unfortunate results of an unsuccessful space mission.

Rendering grief, loneliness, hope, love and happiness with exquisite subtlety and intelligence, Neil Smith proves himself an able chronicler of the human condition. Bang Crunch constitutes a significant achievement by a powerful new writer.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Canada, Anthologies, Contemporary

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 16, 2007

Reviews

[Dwayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure when or where I got this, but I've had it for so long, the pages are no longer white. So I figured, what better time to read it than now?
Starting off with the two best stories of the collection, "Isolettes" and "Green Fluorescent Protein," the whole thing quickly loses steam.
A few other stories like "The Butterfly Box" and the title story are fine enough, and if more of them were like those, it would have been a 3 star rating for me. Unfortunately, we get stories like "Extremities" about gloves that have a mind of their own ("Here we are!" the gloves called out. "Oh, sweet Jesus, here we are!") that either fall flat or just don't work very well.

[Iselin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well ... that was kinda dumb. I didn’t enjoy it at all and I skimmed the last story. They’re ugly and uncomfortable to read but not in a Murakami-way, more in a painful way. I’ll pass.

[Ann Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a recommendation in an online writing course I took from Sarah Selecky a few years back. I ordered the book at the time and added it to my huge (and ever-growing) stack of books to read. It found its way to the surface a few weeks ago and I've thoroughly enjoyed making my way through this quirky and eclectic collection of stories. Expect the unexpected -- and to be entertained.

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the greatest short stories I have ever read. I had a signed copy of this, but I let someone borrow it and they were unable to return it like a decent human being. I just ordered a used copy and can't wait to read it again. I had the pleasure of meeting the author at an event in Maryland a few years ago. He read something from an upcoming novel, but to date, I have not heard anything about it. This book is easy to find for prices less than it's worth. Neil Smith's stories will get right to your heart. Some will comfort, some will make you sad, some will make you mad, but all of them are fantastic. This is a seriously under appreciated book by a seriously under appreciated author. Do your self a favor and devour this, immediately.

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing better than an art exhibit without the people is an art exhibit without the art. “The Butterfly Box”

It tasted like a liquid headache. “Green Fluorescent Protein”

I feel a familiar, clinging loneliness. Not a blanket or shroud of loneliness, but something thinner. A leotard of loneliness. “Funny Weird or Funny Ha Ha”

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like all short story collections some were good, some were not. There was one story near the middle of the book that was completely unexpected and kept me reading, but tiherwid ei met have put this one down.

[George Ilsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection is front-loaded, with the two stand out stories coming first, and then the rest, which pales in comparison. Smith has a very clever writing style, and in his best work, the cleverness is supported by depth. However, he is not always able to achieve this balance. Most of the collection, apart from the first two stories, feels like superficial cleverness.

The final piece, Jaybird, is perhaps an example of the curse of the Montreal writer. I don't recall the word "French" in this piece; however, all the characters' name are French, the names of the plays are given in French (even famous plays written in English), and we are to assume, I suppose, that all these actors are working in French. However, in Montreal there are two worlds, each distinct and slightly overlapping: English theatre and French theatre, French films and English films, and it is very strange that a long story about Montreal actors does not even mention the reality of this linguistic landscape. Since all the French actors are conversing in English (unless they mention the name of a play, which is in French), perhaps Smith did not want to open the can of worms. Voila, the curse of the Montreal writer.

[Aurora Dimitre · Rating 4 out of 5]

These were pretty good. They were solid. There are some I like more than others, yeah, but overall it was a good set of stories, and I do really, really enjoy Smith's writing style. I look forward to seeing more from him.

[Juliana Enriquez · Rating 3 out of 5]

En unos meses el único cuento del que me voy a acordar es Bang Crunch, del resto había 3 que estaban muy buenos también, el de los guantes, el de la mamá y el del tiroteo. Me esperaba otra cosa por la sinopsis igual.

[Mitchell Waldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neil Smith is an interesting, inventive, writer. Some of these stories really held me. Some did not, like the story narrated by a glove (really?). But overall, I admire Neil Smith's ability to keep the reader feeling and engaged. Jaybird was outstanding.

[Véronique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I liked it! There is one of the shorts that I felt was a little Too Weird, but all the other stories pushed the boundaries just enough to be really intriguing.

[Elizabeth Bixler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really nice. In between book reading. Interesting stories. Not amazing but good

[Trina Ann Pion · Rating 5 out of 5]

These nine short stories are gems. My favourites being The Butterfly Box and Bang Crunch.

Neil Smith's imagination and his ability to put images into words is outstanding.

A beautiful read!

[Paul Edlund · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read “Boo” by this author and really enjoyed it. This anthology of short stories was just as good. The author has a somewhat dark and skewed perspective that really entertains me.

[behsforensics]

Cutting is for Funny Weird or Funny Ha Ha? by Neil Smith

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Original ideas. Perhaps I would have enjoyed the stories more if they were fleshed out into novels. I felt unsatisfied and completely unattached to any of the characters.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/10. The perfect blend of tragedy and comedy told in nine wonderful, and sometimes quirky but always compassionate, stories.

Neil Smith, please continue to write short stories.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are contemporary, urban stories about characters in various states of existential discomfort. In “Isolettes,” Jacob keeps his friend company, she who has just given birth to the child product of his sperm donation. In “Bang Crunch,” narrated in second person by a young woman with a syndrome that ages her very rapidly; her mother thinks of an ever expanding universe, like the Big Bang theory, but she feels that the brain will collapse under its own weight, more of a Big Crunch (how the story gets its name). “The B9ers” are a group of people united by benign tumours, and the strangest story of the bunch is narrated by a pair of gloves and the foot of an astronaut who was killed in a failed NASA launch (fascinating experiment in voice and perspective). The strongest of the bunch for me (and for critics; it was published in Event, the Journey Prize Stores 14, and Coming Attractions 04) is “Green Fluorescent Protein,” in which a young man slowly falls in love with his same-sex friend. It’s a beautiful, heartbreaking story that doesn’t place the homosexuality first, but the love first. Smith uses a green fluorescent protein that’s visible only under a certain light (seen by the two boys when they attend a science talk) as a metaphor for homosexuality.

Smith’s stories are tender and sophisticated, funny, and show a keen understanding the beauty and absurdity of life. I’m looking forward to reading Boo.

[Hailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book in a bookstore that was closing down for less than $1.50. As far as I'm concerned it was a fantastic deal that introduced me to an author that I hope releases more short stories soon.

In short stories, authors have more freedom to try out less conventional points of view. I think that Neil Smith gets most of these narratives right, not making them overly gimmicky or preachy. The first three stories were my favourites- 'Isolettes', 'Green Fluorescent Protein', and 'The B9ers'. Smith plays with different setups and writing styles with success. I didn't like 'Extremities' as much, but I enjoyed the other eight stories quite a bit.

Many of these short works can grab you emotionally in just a few pages. Smith can make you identify and empathize with many of his characters-especially the parents of a preemie in 'Isolettes', Tom the shooting witness in 'Scrapbook', and the widow of 'Funny Weird or Funny Ha Ha?'. Adding a dash of surrealism and ambiguity works well in the favour of this collection, as more of an added touch rather than a frame for of the stories.

Overall, I think that this is a well-rounded compilation of short stories, each around 25 pages, except for the Jaybird which is 65 pages and concludes the collecion.

[Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific set of short stories with a precise turn of phrase that creates an arresting image in your mind about a character, a situation. Many times when I finished a story, I had to stop reading and catch my breath. Yes, there's some melancholy overtones to many of the stories, but ultimately they are positive and filled with hope. There's not a weak story in the bunch from the mother who's uncertain that "like" is enough to the basketball player struggling to figure out what his relationship with another boy means to the b9ers coming to terms with the betrayal of their own bodies to the doctor in AA who talks to her dead husband's ashes that she keeps in the curling stone to the actor who just hasn't lived up to his promise. The odd humor of the title story also works. Neil Smith is a writer who knows how to use the short story form.

[Ermina Williams]

Oh. This was sort of like having a quasi intellectual conversation with a superficial art director/ commercial television director in Toronto. (Speaking from experience.) It was wanting so much to be informed, to come across as a plunging foray into quirky poignant vignettes of life, but it grasped at all the strangest straws and references to appear interesting. Sorry Neil Smith, I am sure you are good guy! I didn't get it, tried a few of the short stories, but couldn't see them through. Like that indie film everyone recommends but that only speaks to a tiny group of society, and you wonder how everyone else can really be enjoying it, but you feel they all are aren't they, so you should try to, but don't get it. And because what was cool about it remained a mystery to you, but the rest of it was shite overall, you only remember the latter. :)

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this on a whim at Border's one Sunday thinking the cover looked good, they were advertising it, the back description was intriguing. Then getting over buyers remorse I opened it up and let his stories depress me. Their all pretty much downers except for the one about benign tumors and the one about the actor. I really liked the title story Bang Crunch even though it was about an extraordinary but rapidly dying 8 year old, Funny Weird or Funny Ha Ha was interesting and I was really drawn into Jaybird. All in all it wasn't so bad but I don't think I would have missed anything had I not succumbed to my impulse buy.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a few stories in this collection that I really loved, a couple that I really hated, and the rest that I just didn't really care about at all. The collection felt very much like a first book and Smith as a writer who was trying really hard to be experimental or shocking. The best stories were at the front of the book. I really liked "Flor. Green Protein" and "Isolettes". I didn't care for "Extremities" or "Bang Crunch".

I will say that often Smith creates an arresting image or strange yet perfect description that I've never seen used before. I think that his next book will probably be stellar.

Better than Miranda July, not nearly as good as Karen Russell.

[Jennifer Kalen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been really into short stories again; ever since Miranda July came out w/ her collection. This Canadian writer reminds me of her; not as quirky but a little more skilled in the art of literature. He probably got an MFA in short fiction and maybe these stories were his thesis and he polished them for publication. I just get that feeling.

I am reading this very slowly in order to savor the book.
FABULOUS stories. Each time I finish reading one I am moved, emotionally, intellectually; I think, I could do this (if I had time, if I MADE the time) but maybe not. Who knows. ANYWAY, highly recommended.

[Leika · Rating 5 out of 5]

superb. the stories make you think in a different way. for example, "extremities" is told from the first person point of view of a right foot and third person omniscient view of a pair of gloves. Some stories made me feel uncomfortable in a way that made me think about the human condition. i think that smith chose to put the best story for last- "jaybird" was probably the most provocative of the stories, and, to me, the most thought provoking. i highly recommend this book to anyone really, unless you have the maturity of a middle schooler..

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever and fresh writing in this collection of short stories.I read Boo, Smith's first novel, in July. This book of stories was written a few years ago and is as delightfully different as Boo. Smith has a unique gift for story telling. Short sentences, terrific metaphors, characters that can be described in a few words, sense of place and setting is familiar: Montreal and environs. The everyday of our lives is just a bit different under Smith's pen and observations. The B9ers and Jaybird particularly good stories. Do read this book!

[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Et si l'art consistait à trouver la beauté là où on ne l'attend pas?"

J'ai choisi cet extrait parce que je trouve qu'il défini bien ce recueil de nouvelles. J'ai préféré les histoires de la première moitié du livre mais elles ont toutes quelque chose de très original, de particulier, d'un peu triste, mais aussi étrangement plein d'humanité.

L'univers de Neil Smith est dur à décrire car il ne ressemble à rien de connu, même quand il est bien campé dans Montréal. On est toujours quelque part entre la réalité et l'imaginaire et c'est ce qui le rend si fascinant à lire.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

People often say that all the stories there are to write have been written, that writing is just taking old stories and retelling them in the author's own way. In these stories, Neil Smith makes me doubt that conventional wisdom. Original and imaginative. Smith makes the most bizarre things happen in the most mundane settings, giving birth to something new. The result is enthralling and intriguing. These are not stories to miss.

[Blake Kanewischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like short story collections because they're like little dips into an author's mind. Smith's stories are often set in a slightly askew Montreal, which is hard to imagine, but true. He uses short, punchy, declarative sentences to frame a scene, and has some incredibly imaginative concepts for stories. Well worth picking up and keeping at the bedside for those 20 minute reading jags before closing your eyes.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not usually one for short stories, because I tend to prefer more developed works. But Neil Smith nails it. His stories are short but completely perfected--he has found the exact ways to make your heart swell and the exact moments to smash your heart on the floor. His characters are flawed, they make mistakes, and they feel so real. Green Fluorescent Protein has got to be one of the best short stories I've ever read. Smith is a genius, and I can't wait to read his next book.