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Reflections: Dissecting the Modern Day Degenerate
Reflections is a collection of short stories that deals with a variety of social issues; from working in an office, to lost love and broken families, or dealing with an apathetic society. The stories follow a stream of consciousness narrative and often end with a dark and sometimes horrifying twist. Reader beware, these stories are not meant for the weak of heart.
Adult-content rating: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages
Adult-content rating: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages
- GenresShort Stories
39 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 12, 2012
1 person is currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
John Dodsworth
2 books5 followersI write best when I have a stiff drink and a lit cigarette burning between my lips, sitting on my porch with no shirt on.
johndodsworth.ca
johndodsworth.ca
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 5, 2017
Review copy kindly provided by GR author and friend, John Dodsworth.
This is a small collection of stories which can be described as ranging from downright horror to a sort of dark comedy.
Dodsworth is successful in experimenting with point of view. Quite a few of the stories are told by first person narrators, but there's one story which uses second person and some that use third.
The characters are quite different. We have some office drones who work in banking or investment, but we also have drifters and street people and a young girl who is dealing the best way she knows how with her parents' messy divorce. The story of little Julie was for me the best executed and the most tragic.
In all cases we feel that we know the main character quite well. Dodsworth puts them in situations which to them seem normal, or almost normal. However, the reader senses immediately that something is not right. The story bears out this feeling by following the strugggle of the person who is usually pitted against malevolent forces.
These stories are no more than a few pages each, and yet the author packs in a lot of well-developed characters and suspenseful situations. His endings are usually tragic, shocking or horrific as characters come face to face with evil, either from the outside or within themselves.
This is a small collection of stories which can be described as ranging from downright horror to a sort of dark comedy.
Dodsworth is successful in experimenting with point of view. Quite a few of the stories are told by first person narrators, but there's one story which uses second person and some that use third.
The characters are quite different. We have some office drones who work in banking or investment, but we also have drifters and street people and a young girl who is dealing the best way she knows how with her parents' messy divorce. The story of little Julie was for me the best executed and the most tragic.
In all cases we feel that we know the main character quite well. Dodsworth puts them in situations which to them seem normal, or almost normal. However, the reader senses immediately that something is not right. The story bears out this feeling by following the strugggle of the person who is usually pitted against malevolent forces.
These stories are no more than a few pages each, and yet the author packs in a lot of well-developed characters and suspenseful situations. His endings are usually tragic, shocking or horrific as characters come face to face with evil, either from the outside or within themselves.
December 4, 2012
Reflections (John Dodsworth)
A well written book of short stories. Each one unique, thought provoking and filled with emotions. These stories feel so real as if spying on each individual, getting into their minds and feeling their, love, hate, frustration and joy. I look forward to more work From John Dodsworth.
Book can be found at Smashwords
A well written book of short stories. Each one unique, thought provoking and filled with emotions. These stories feel so real as if spying on each individual, getting into their minds and feeling their, love, hate, frustration and joy. I look forward to more work From John Dodsworth.
Book can be found at Smashwords
January 3, 2013
Dodsworth's independently published collection of short stories is a perfect travel companion for a short flight or waiting for an appointment. However, don't get the idea these stories are light reading as they are just the opposite. Each of them is thought provoking and each is written from a different perspective, showcasing the lives of real people who experience difficult circumstances.
The author must be a master observer of human behavior in everyday life. Each story is unique. He captures the hopelessness of a first person character working in a dead end job and leaves the reader thinking at the end, could that have easily been me? The next story could be about lost love or loss in general. The hopelessness and endless patterns of the indigent are also part of this gripping collection.
You don't have to imagine how a young child might be so easily kidnapped by an evil impostor either. Dodsworth does a great job of laying out how such a tragedy could easily unfold.
Anyone who's ever felt the injustice of the artificiality of credit and the anonymity of financial institutions that scam the willing investor, is sure to enjoy Dodsworth's final short piece of the collection titled "Notre Dame Cathedral."
This author could take any one of these short pieces and easily have written a full length novel sure to captivate audiences who love Steven King.
The author must be a master observer of human behavior in everyday life. Each story is unique. He captures the hopelessness of a first person character working in a dead end job and leaves the reader thinking at the end, could that have easily been me? The next story could be about lost love or loss in general. The hopelessness and endless patterns of the indigent are also part of this gripping collection.
You don't have to imagine how a young child might be so easily kidnapped by an evil impostor either. Dodsworth does a great job of laying out how such a tragedy could easily unfold.
Anyone who's ever felt the injustice of the artificiality of credit and the anonymity of financial institutions that scam the willing investor, is sure to enjoy Dodsworth's final short piece of the collection titled "Notre Dame Cathedral."
This author could take any one of these short pieces and easily have written a full length novel sure to captivate audiences who love Steven King.
not-interested
January 23, 2013Unsolicited recommendation.
January 23, 2013
This collection of short stories is a quick, quirky, and somewhat disturbing read. Disturbing, but in a good way. I really enjoyed the first story and found it humorous - but dark at the same time. I liked the point of view that each short story was told from. Made them interesting to read. The thoughts that some of the characters had in the situations they were in were particularly entertaining. Recommended read for someone looking for an eclectic bunch of short stories.
~ Crystal
~ Crystal
January 23, 2013
This collection of short stories is a quick, quirky, and somewhat disturbing read. Disturbing, but in a good way. I really enjoyed the first story and found it humorous - but dark at the same time. I liked the point of view that each short story was told from. Made them interesting to read. The thoughts that some of the characters had in the situations they were in were particularly entertaining. Recommended read for someone looking for an eclectic bunch of short stories.
September 16, 2014
2.5 STARS
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review).
"Reflections is a collection of short stories that deals with a variety of social issues; from working in an office, to lost love and broken families, or dealing with an apathetic society. The stories follow a stream of consciousness narrative and often end with a dark and sometimes horrifying twist. Reader beware, these stories are not meant for the weak of heart. " (From Amazon)
An okay collection.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review).
"Reflections is a collection of short stories that deals with a variety of social issues; from working in an office, to lost love and broken families, or dealing with an apathetic society. The stories follow a stream of consciousness narrative and often end with a dark and sometimes horrifying twist. Reader beware, these stories are not meant for the weak of heart. " (From Amazon)
An okay collection.
July 20, 2013
A very well written collection of disturbing stories, observing the darker side of the human condition. The one called Coloring Books and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream was the most disturbing to me, and had a particularly good POV - allowing the reader to really feel the 'fear' and 'innocence', yet feeling powerless to stop the inevitable - shiver.
Worth reading.
Worth reading.
March 31, 2013
A very well written book of short stories. Each story is different and thought provoking. From working in an office to dealing with an apathetic society. I felt like i was looking in to the characters lifes . I look forward to reading more books by John Dodsworth
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews