Great Adventures for the Faint of Heart

by Cary Fagan

Masterful, hopeful stories about ordinary people taking small, bold steps into the unknown

These ten compelling and delightful stories highlight ordinary people, introverts, mostly living quiet lives -- until they take the chance to leap toward small, meaningful adventure. A young woman is given a painting by Picasso by her stepfather, and she must acquire a wall to hang it on. A hippie family picks up a cello-playing hitchhiker who convinces them to get a television. And a man winds up taking his girlfriend?s son on a road trip -- an unexpected expedition for them both.

Filled with a sense of hope, these stories explore the tangled bonds of family and the complex web that holds them together. Cary Fagan is an undisputed master of the short story, and Great Adventures for the Faint of Heart is a brilliant and warm collection that expands our acceptance of human frailty and our unpredictable capacity for change.

Genres: Short Stories, Contemporary, Fiction

240 pages, Paperback

Published September 13, 2001

About the author

Cary Fagan has written numerous books for children, including What Are You Doing, Benny?, Little Blue Chair and Mr. Zinger's Hat, which was awarded the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the IODE Jean Throop Award. He has also won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People for his body of work. Cary was born and raised in Toronto, where he continues to live with his family.

Reviews

[Story · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweetly pensive and enjoyable stories, tinged with humour.

[Pree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow I felt like I needed it. None of the stories were particularly special or exciting, but a combination of the beauty in mundanity and the author’s writing style pressed you to want to keep going. Divorcees, fathers, neighbours, students. All the stories were united by this sense of acting on your thoughts and emotions, the idea that life is too short to be left unfulfilled, and that we must follow our heart, our true North Star. They were every day stories of very normal people dealing with very normal problems, which made all their flaws that much more relatable.

Leaving this booking feeling a bit more motivated to act on my whims and convictions 😌

[Zainab Sayedain · Rating 4 out of 5]

these stories were so cute and special ! perfect for my ontario adventure since many of them were set in ontario. each story made me pause and think about how universal the human experience is. overall so pleasant and filled me with nice feelings.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes you need a book to quietly cheer you on for trying to exist as the best version of yourself and not Doing So Much, but maybe just trying to do a bit more than the day before (a step outside the comfort zone, not a leap).. this is that book, and I'm grateful for it.

[Camisha Rahmatian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a cute collection of short stories and a great book to read if you’re in a reading slump. I really liked how well developed each short story was and how easy it was to get engaged despite how little time you spent with the characters. Most of these stories also took place in Toronto so there was a personal connection for me.

[Alison Gadsby · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic collection of stories! These are really just slices of ordinary life on those days when something important happens. The thing that you carry with you for the rest of your life. It could be the first road trip you take with a kid you don't know very well; or the time your parents let a stranger stay in your house and you got a television out of it. Or the time your imaginary friend, a bear, follows you to a job interview in Nipigon. You know, the extraordinarily ordinary.

As a writer of short stories, this collection reminded me of William Trevor, who is a master of the omniscient, yet intimate voice. Strongly recommend this collection.

[Anna Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cary Fagan is Cary Fagan is a master storyteller. His myriad books, both for adults and for children, demonstrate his wonderful sense of what makes us human and what makes us laugh and cry. He has a deep understanding of the human heart. This delightful collection of short stories embraces a diverse range of seemingly ordinary people who take a chance on life and discover that they can, if the occasion arrives, be extraordinary. Great Adventures for the Faint of Heart will leave you wanting more Fagan stories.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of short stories because I usually find them too dark but this collection is excellent and oh so Canadian. Most of the stories, like the author, are set in Toronto. However, like much short fiction, they tend to leave you wanting more but not in an unsatisfied why. I presume that the author has some Judaism in his background because most of the stories have an element of secular Jewishness. I will be looking for more of this author's work.

[Gisela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this wonderful collection of stories about ordinary people doing ordinary things that were at times endearing, at times worrisome, sometimes impulsive, sometimes unexpected. But all of the stories had the feeling of being about REAL people, and I was completely swept away. Highly recommended.

[Luise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of stories with a perfect title!

[Maude Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute birthday gift for a cute read

[Morgan MacLean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Endearing collection of stories :)

[Jasmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable collection of short stories with just the right touch of humour.

[Alyssa Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

A set of mundane yet fascinating small stories in Ontario. Enjoyed the magical yet boring but interesting voice.