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In a World of Small Truths
"Morrison's range of voice is stunning-from the deep drumbeat of true grit to the high-pitched timbre of irretrievable loss. Here is a landscape of the human condition, fully realized. Often harsh, often heartbreakingly poignant, Morrison's characters grasp for the small truths in their lives, some coming up empty-handed, others given that one shot at redemption. A magnificent, kaleidoscopic view of the extraordinary nature of ordinary lives, rendered in lucid, pitch-perfect prose." (Lorian Hemingway, author of Walk on Water) "With a flinty glare and a fine ear for language, these stories give us the 'wahoo!' great fiction always provides, and never lets up. Morrison's subjects range from dogs to divorce and even to a uterus in a jar. These are stories you won't soon forget."(Rusty Barnes, author of Mostly Redneck and co-founder of Night Train)
172 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 28, 2015
A brilliant collection of elegiac tales. These stories will change you.
January 18, 2014
Ray Morrison appears to be an artist of the short story. No canvas he creates is going to be the same as the last, though a similar style might oft be spotted.
"In a World of Small Truths" is where you find a family of short stories previously published in magazines and journals. This family deserved to have a home together, and you'll be taken on a tour of the rooms they inhabit across sixteen various tales from some short-shorts to others of moderate length. An extra treat unfolds if you have a connection to North Carolina, which author Morrison calls home as do many of his works. To the reader's benefit, those references to NC provide a proper flavor while avoiding stereotypical characterizations.
I found a few things surprising about the passages of "In A World of Small Truths." More than half the entries dealt with deaths. It was the platform upon which many character's predicaments were built and their emotions stirred. Which is to say these are not horror stories in the least; the author did not linger on graphic depiction.
Not quite so surprising was that an even greater dose of stories dealt with the challenges of family: life, relationships, events, history, and direction. These realistic elements make you realize many lives are not like your own, and each person has to find a way to deal with their particular situation. In the world of Ray Morrison's writing, the individual almost always takes ownership.
One comes away from the book expecting that the author has been influenced by Russian literature, with death (and love) as central themes and a Tolstoyan view that "each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."
By far the most surprising and tasty aspect of these short stories was that Morrison resists the need of many storytellers to tie up all the loose ends. He conveniently casts his characters in their unique awkward situation, but he doesn't feel the need to fully extract them before the story ends. In other collections (such as Ben Fountain's "Brief Encounters with Che Guevara") this might appear to be a set of semi-complete vignettes tossed out as test sketches for some future, more developed work; not here.
You leave "In A World of Small Truths" with a reinforced understanding that life runs along a ribbon of time without always having a bow tied atop, and also with just the right amount of wonder about what comes next for the subject. It's a sense for the reader of the story fading rather than the curtain falling, and your thoughts briefly linger about the future before you turn the page.
One clear strength for the author is the ability to engage the reader from the opening paragraph. The work 'Extractions' commences thusly: "He lies awake, unable to sleep, and listens to sleet battering the bedroom window. The room is dark and cold, the darkness cut only by the green glow of the digital clock on the table next to him. Beside him, Liz's soft, rhythmic breathing counters the sharp patter of the ice against the glass." Without question, this reader was hooked, and soon rewarded with additional compelling passages such as, "Above him, shadows move across the ceiling. He can't tell if they are real or imagined, the remnants of his bad dream."
Ray Morrison shunned the pursuit of full length novels. This terrific aggregation allows you to see parts of his journey down the road of the short story. You will be glad you pursued his path, and for some time you are likely to recollect elements of his collection imprinted in your mind.
"In a World of Small Truths" is where you find a family of short stories previously published in magazines and journals. This family deserved to have a home together, and you'll be taken on a tour of the rooms they inhabit across sixteen various tales from some short-shorts to others of moderate length. An extra treat unfolds if you have a connection to North Carolina, which author Morrison calls home as do many of his works. To the reader's benefit, those references to NC provide a proper flavor while avoiding stereotypical characterizations.
I found a few things surprising about the passages of "In A World of Small Truths." More than half the entries dealt with deaths. It was the platform upon which many character's predicaments were built and their emotions stirred. Which is to say these are not horror stories in the least; the author did not linger on graphic depiction.
Not quite so surprising was that an even greater dose of stories dealt with the challenges of family: life, relationships, events, history, and direction. These realistic elements make you realize many lives are not like your own, and each person has to find a way to deal with their particular situation. In the world of Ray Morrison's writing, the individual almost always takes ownership.
One comes away from the book expecting that the author has been influenced by Russian literature, with death (and love) as central themes and a Tolstoyan view that "each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."
By far the most surprising and tasty aspect of these short stories was that Morrison resists the need of many storytellers to tie up all the loose ends. He conveniently casts his characters in their unique awkward situation, but he doesn't feel the need to fully extract them before the story ends. In other collections (such as Ben Fountain's "Brief Encounters with Che Guevara") this might appear to be a set of semi-complete vignettes tossed out as test sketches for some future, more developed work; not here.
You leave "In A World of Small Truths" with a reinforced understanding that life runs along a ribbon of time without always having a bow tied atop, and also with just the right amount of wonder about what comes next for the subject. It's a sense for the reader of the story fading rather than the curtain falling, and your thoughts briefly linger about the future before you turn the page.
One clear strength for the author is the ability to engage the reader from the opening paragraph. The work 'Extractions' commences thusly: "He lies awake, unable to sleep, and listens to sleet battering the bedroom window. The room is dark and cold, the darkness cut only by the green glow of the digital clock on the table next to him. Beside him, Liz's soft, rhythmic breathing counters the sharp patter of the ice against the glass." Without question, this reader was hooked, and soon rewarded with additional compelling passages such as, "Above him, shadows move across the ceiling. He can't tell if they are real or imagined, the remnants of his bad dream."
Ray Morrison shunned the pursuit of full length novels. This terrific aggregation allows you to see parts of his journey down the road of the short story. You will be glad you pursued his path, and for some time you are likely to recollect elements of his collection imprinted in your mind.
June 20, 2014
In this collection of short stories, each chapter takes us on a ride from country to cityscape among ordinary lives of characters who are trying to find their footing in this world through events that fall before them. Their paths of self-discovery carry hope that they will attain or recover a truth to move on with. The tension between the troubled people is well written with compelling prose. We are taken through the characters lives and struggles leaving us with the reality that no matter the outcome, our pursuit as humans is always based on hope. These stories are a reminder that behind every door is a story to tell and within that story, the truth of hope.
March 28, 2015
It's taken me too long to post this: In a World of Small Truths is a masterful collection, rife with pathos and mercy, tenderness and solitude. Readers of all kinds will find this book breathtaking. One of the best books I've read ever.
June 10, 2014
Real, artful, readable.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews