Fumes

by William Dozier

Charlie Whitler--sober for the first time in his adult life--returns to Durham County, North Carolina. Only his maternal grandfather knows why he's home. The Hammonds, a once-wealthy family in decline, regroup in the Outer Banks as the story rushes toward its blunt and eerie conclusion.

FUMES is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

48 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 3, 2023

Reviews

[Bob Godden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been following this author on YouTube and Instagram and I generally agree with his tastes and reviews of literature. When I found out he was publishing a novelette I knew I would snap it up and I'm glad I did. One of my favorite authors is Cormac McCarthy and it's clear to see his influences on Mr Dozier's work. His prose is sparse and to the point and the author has the ability to set a tone and scene with few words. We are thrown into the middle of a situation without any idea about what is going on and have to piece it together by the descriptions and dialogue from the author.
My only complaint is that the story is so short. I want to know more about these characters and dive more into the backstory and setting. Still, the book may be short but there is quite a bit packed into less than 60 pages and days later I'm still thinking about it and will definitely be doing a reread soon.
I'm very much looking forward to future works by William Dozier and hope that he keeps on with this style.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic, dark, ambitious debut. It’s hard to believe this is only 72 pages, considering how much time it spans and how many characters and storylines are explored. There’s a lot left off the page, a lot of story that’s only hinted at, so careful readers are definitely rewarded. You can see the Cormac McCarthy influence in several scenes (I have it on good authority that the author is a fan), but this book is very much its own thing. Not for the faint of heart, but worth it for the glimpses of humanity and the beautiful, terse language. Can’t wait to see what Will does next.

[Kent Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a great book for a 1st time author. You showed the struggle as someone dealing with some dark issues and I think you'll handle it very well. I look forward to reading more.

[Patrick Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bitter meditation on revenge and the scars of the past. Nearly every character is past their expiration date, knows it, and acts accordingly. Crisp sentences and an eventful plot make this novella feel fuller than its 70 pages.

[Susie Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast but powerful read. This short story is deeply disturbing but well written and it made me ponder over nature vs nurture as Charlie seemed to have had the potential to be a different person while simultaneously being doomed for a catastrophic ending. I will happily pick up anything else William writes in the future :)!

[Finnleigh Gaunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whilst I managed to read this in one sitting in just over an hour, the writing on display will stick in my head far longer than it took me to read this.

An incredibly well written neo western novella with some great exploration of themes surrounding addiction, faith and violent revenge.

William Dozier takes influence from Cormac McCarthy's writing for sure in terms of his sparse but overall vivid portrayals of some very frightening emotions and ability to craft a story where every sentence is both purposeful and in service of a greater narrative. However this does not detract from the creativity and individuality on show.

I also find myself impressed with the ending which avoids the typical easier to sell crescendo conclusion that pollutes a lot of media today. It is an overall tightly western drama which ends on an unceremonious but impactful note.

If you are looking for a short read that touches on some of the dark aspects of revenge and addiction by a new upcoming writer who pays homage to another great American writer whilst not sacrificing their own individuality then this is a worthwhile read.

The only criticism to level at this stage is that unfortunately William has not yet got a breadth of work for you to jump into after you inevitably enjoy this novella. A definite re read on the cards for me.

Thanks for reading :)

[Robert Luff]

I picked this up to support the young author, whom I follow on YouTube. While this is very well-written and the tale well-crafted, it's not the kind of stuff to fill one's head with -- a dark and bloody revenge story. I did not enjoy the ending, either.

I'm not going to rate this one, as my dislike is due to my taste, not the author's merit, and I wouldn't want to harm the score.

There's at least a satisfaction that comes from reading outside of my comfort zone and trying an author's debut. I wish him very well, and hope he goes in a lighter direction next time!

[Brent Matley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fumes by William Dozier is an interesting novella that explores upbringing, revenge and violence. In its short span it explores the darkness of human nature.

I recently subscribed to William on YouTube - he reads a lot of fiction I love, especially Cormac McCarthy. This is his biggest influence. Sentences are short and snappy, the prose has a simple but elegant style to it. Fumes was a smooth read.

What I like the most about the book is it takes a deeper look on how our family and immediate environment shapes us - John Bowlby's attachment theory springs to mind. Charlie has been an alcoholic for most of his life, much is inferred such how in chapter two Charlie was labelled as the 'problem child.'

This is where it falls slightly short - if the book would have been longer, it could have explored these themes more, the characters more, the revenge more.

It's still a great book and I hope William writes something longer in the future as he is a good writer!

3.5* round to 4.

[TVK · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Some miles back the smoke rising off the ruin of the ranch home could be seen only as an absence of stars perpendicular to the earth. No wind. Night things calling, blinks of yellow light near and far, the Perseids falling gently overhead. Charlie, in some walking prayer, kept on through the dark, the trees, thinking about the dead woman.”

Moments of brilliant language like this make me excited for Dozier’s career.

Fumes is, of course, short in length and with that certain ideas could benefit from some expounding and/or elaborating, but it’s a good read nonetheless.

I found myself highly curious about the character Tasha. Interestingly, I felt like some of the novella’s best writing was in chapter 5 which is essentially from her point of view. I hope her character gets to develop and evolve if William continues to expand on the lore of this world down the line.

[Brenda Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can tell the William Dozier will be a fine writer one day and I can tell that he admires Cormac McCarthy as he is mimicking McCarthy’s style of writing. However this story is extremely hard to follow mostly because of the authors misaligned need to minimize the writing. I wish I could be a mentor because I would say, “show me the feelings of each character by how you describe the setting.” The lack of description leaves the reader in a kind of limbo by having to invent their own setting. I would go back over the story and write it as a 200 page book and only then start the parring down to meet your minimalist style.
But most of all, Mr Dozier, keep writing! You have the senses of a great writer in that you know what makes a good story. Just get more good advice from editors and keep writing and keep reading. I hope I live long enough to read your masterpiece!

[Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this as it is by one of my favorite BookTokers that has offered up some great recommendations. It is clear that the author here is trying to imitate his own favorite author, Cormac McCarthy. The same brushstrokes can be seen in the gritty details and mumblemouthed dialogue, and where one paragraph can describe a brutal revenge killing in the same uninterested tone as the following paragraph, describing people outside going on a stroll. That's so Cormac! But, really, that is what makes McCarthy so great, and this is still a swift-moving and interesting novella that stands on its own.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this novella. It amazes me that such a strong, seemingly immense story can fit into just 72 pages. The entire book has a tense and satisfying flow that sucked me in and still hasn't spat me out. The writing style and the setting are both fully immersive and I felt like I was body hopping with every change in character perspective. I am so impressed with this debut and can't wait to see what else this compelling mind can create!

[Dillon Allen-Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting little book. A lot of characterization & scene setting in few words. Engaging & surprisingly violent. 


You don't need to watch William Dozier's reading recommendations on YouTube to know he likes Cormac McCarthy. You can read the influence on the pages of FUMES. Check it out if you like McCarthy. It's worth the read.

[Noah Calcagno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dozier’a videos got me into Cormac McCarthy, and American literature in general. It was an absolute delight to read his breakout novella, and I look forward to, hopefully, many more.

Dozier does a great job incorporating various inspirations, like McCarthy, while still maintaining his own voice and style.

[Nick Bruno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful story telling with an emotional ending. I would recommend checking this book out if you’re looking for a quick read. I recommend reading from start to finish in one sitting because you won’t want to put the book down!

[Clyde · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my opinion, there were too many characters for such a short book. I felt like I knew hardly any of them, and kept getting them confused with each other. Maybe I’ll try to reread one day to make sure it wasn’t just my error.

[Quinn Galligan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cormac McCarthy's inspiration is felt on every page, from the sharp prose to the unconventional story structure. In only 72 pages, we glimpse the twisted story of murder and mayhem in Durham County, North Carolina. Dozier has a long career ahead of time; I hope this is just the beginning.

[Mitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Underwhelming

This book came highly recommended so I approached it with high expectations. But it didn't live up to those. It was jumbled and inconsistent and devoid of any characters of interest. Really disappointed.

[Hannah Williams-Inman · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not every day you get to read a brief, eerie, surprising book that also happened to be written by a friend. William, if you see this, bravo!!

[Alyson Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

my bestie wrote this book and it’s a good one

[Amaris Mariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Thomas Hodgkins]

Had the pleasure of interviewing the author for a newspaper article. I found this novella to be pretty intriguing and thrilling!

[Logan Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The story and writing are good, but I wish there was more detail. It was just too short to me.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet, great twist. Heartbreaking

[Lucas Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Was okay. My understanding was that this was a new author so we were trying it out so I thought it was good from that perspective

[Niall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I fw u bro keep going

[Susie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don’t want to discourage this new writer, wasn’t very good. Raise the bar with your next one.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author got me into reading again and is a UVA alum so shoutout to him. The cormac mccarthy influence is clear. I loving reading a book where I understand/grew up familiar with the geographic places in which the story takes place. An eerie atmosphere made for a unique reading experience. I was not a huge fan of the prose in the Teletubbies TV chapter, it felt experimental which is cool, but forced, and took me out of the story a bit. Looking forward to keeping up with and reading more from Dozier in the future!

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dozier does it again

[Trey S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella was a quick and super enjoyable read. It is something that is doable in one night, though I broke it up into 2 days but wish I read it in one straight through.

The story was a short and very detailed experience that had me wondering what the next chapter was going to describe and so on. I didn’t want to set the book down, I wanted to keep reading so the story would unravel. The way the chapters ended was supremely well done I thought, I liked how they were a good hook to keep reading, I do not want to spoil the book or how certain things happened because it’s short and you should really read it yourself.

I wish the book was just a little bit longer, I think it could’ve been helped a bit by that though I am sure there are reasons it was this specific length. I also wish it was longer just because I had a fun time reading it. The story didn’t feel rushed or anything, I just wish there was more time to flesh things out, details, settings, etc.

I can see the connections and similarities to what I presume is Cormac McCarthy, I see it with the ways the settings and places are described. That’s what I really loved about the book was the descriptions. I am sure there are similarities to other authors in this book or influences drawn from but to me that was the most notable and it wasn’t done poorly either, it was done very well. On further re reads, this book will undoubtedly have more to unpack and unravel and think about. I follow the author on tik-tok and instagram and wanted to support. I recommend the book to really anyone. This first work published, self published I should remind, by the author was really well done and a fun short read.

One last thing, I know it’s nit picky but an el Camino shouldn’t be able to have the odometer displaying 200,000 odd some miles, it’s only 5 spaces plus a space for tenths of miles. It doesn’t matter at all but I just like cars so I noticed it.

4.5/5