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Where the Money Went
Kevin Canty is a master of the short story whose work has been compared to that of Flannery O’Connor and Raymond Carver. In Where the Money Went , he surprises us with stories about love and the desertion of love, all written from a man’s point of view. Rarely is a man so revealing.
A narrator struggles with his abiding loyalty to his ex-wife, even when he finds love with another woman. A newly divorced man learns more than he wants to know about his friends’ long-term marriages. In these nine stories, which incisively touch on the complex nature of love, we find men as fathers, as husbands, and as lovers, trying their best in a world that stubbornly refuses to make sense. Canty, whose writing has been praised as “smart, gritty, unsentimental” ( New York Times ), “lovely and unforgiving” ( Boston Globe ), and “enchanting and painful” ( USA Today ), powerfully conveys both the bitterness that can afflict romantic relationships, and the moments of humor and tenderness that cut through it.
A narrator struggles with his abiding loyalty to his ex-wife, even when he finds love with another woman. A newly divorced man learns more than he wants to know about his friends’ long-term marriages. In these nine stories, which incisively touch on the complex nature of love, we find men as fathers, as husbands, and as lovers, trying their best in a world that stubbornly refuses to make sense. Canty, whose writing has been praised as “smart, gritty, unsentimental” ( New York Times ), “lovely and unforgiving” ( Boston Globe ), and “enchanting and painful” ( USA Today ), powerfully conveys both the bitterness that can afflict romantic relationships, and the moments of humor and tenderness that cut through it.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
7 people are currently reading
267 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Canty
26 books107 followersKevin Canty writes novels and short stories. He is a faculty member in the English department at the University of Montana at Missoula, where he currently resides. He received his Masters degree in English from the University of Florida in 1990, and M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Arizona in 1993.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
August 15, 2018
There were two short stories that I really liked. I wished they were longer; hence my struggle with reading short stories. It's like I know they're short stories but I hope they go on.
February 10, 2015
dove va a finire l'amore quando finisce
nei conti correnti degli avvocati...
nei conti correnti degli avvocati...
January 27, 2014
Non so se sia l'erede di Carver, che conosco pochissimo, ma anche se talvolta si vede in trasparenza un'idea di film o qualche clich� (la stellina in meno), narra di punti di svolta o punti critici di uomini in una relazione, inizi, fini, ricordi, trascinamenti e voltoni, e non ti prende mai in giro. Misurato ed attento, anche se il racconto [SPOILER!] dove lui - uno tra milioni, un totalmente realistico uomo del popolo americano, non sa se lei star� o andr�, ne coglie l'esitazione, che "ci sta pensando" e gli viene la nostalgia anticipata del figlio di lei scopre di volergli bene e se lo porta in moto per le colline, ti pu� regalare un certo magone. Colonna sonora: Apparat: (Dj Kicks) Apparat
Want to read
August 30, 2009I guess it's starting to be silly how obvious my influences are -- or at least that the targeters are getting me pretty well pegged. Anyway, the L Magazine Fiction Issue had a rad story by this guy, about a divorced dad and his teenage son and a weird hotel bar where one of its walls is clear and looks in on a pool and strippers dress up as mermaids to entertain the drunks.
July 19, 2010
My favorite story was They Were Expendable. I'm amused by this because it is the least "mannish" of the stories and my initial and particular interest in this book was its uniquely male perspective. After all that, I ended up loving the most sentimental, awkward and tender story of them all. No surprise there, I'm sure.
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April 27, 2023Vien da chiedersi com'è che certi autori rimangano così nascosti, così trascurati. Libro di rara piacevolezza.
August 7, 2017
Raymond Carver non è mai morto. Raymond Carver è vivo e vegeto, e ora si fa chiamare Kevin Canty.
February 16, 2011
Where The Money Went Kevin Canty Vintage Books, New York
In this compilation of short stories, Canty takes the reader through what it is to be a man in love, out of love, and how it feels to cope through the loss of a true love.
From the moment I opened Where The Money Went, I knew it was different. Kevin Canty takes control of the writing craft. Canty takes syntax and manipulates it in an awkward yet, effective way. In his story, The Emperor of Ice Cream, he writes, “THE SUMMER HE ALMOST KILLED HIS BROTHER, Lander spent working the front desk of the University library, watching the girls go by in their summer shorts and dresses.” Not only did this amazing first sentence catch my attention, but its awkward wording set the tone for the entire story. The first sentence’s foreign construction shows exactly how Lander feels towards his family after the accident with his brother. This attention getting technique is used quite frequently throughout the book. In the title story of the book, Where The Money Went, Canty uses a technique that I have seen before in Tim O’Brien’s story, “The Things They Carried”. O’Brien used listing as a way of telling a story and as a way of making small details important. Canty uses this same technique, but instead of describing soldiers in war, he describes a crumbling marriage. Canty writes, “He sat with a pencil and envelope back (he was pre-approved for fifty thousand dollars more) and tried to figure how a simple skiing weekend could cost so much: lift tickets, lunches, the fat, hourglass-shaped skis he bought himself and then, out of something like guilt, bought his wife. It wasn’t the skis he bought himself that were wasted, he thought. He was a decent skier, he enjoyed it. No, it was the skis he bought his wife, hoping to encourage her. She used them that weekend and never again. Five hundred for the skis, one-and- a- quarter for the bindings. Then of course new boots. That was a waste, he thought.”
I found this story particularly interesting. Because Canty uses listing to show the relationship, it doesn’t feel like he is saying much, however, as the story progresses, I realized he was showing the couple through credit card receipts. He was saying a lot about the couple. Even though he doesn’t directly say it, it is clear that the couple tries to keep up with the people around them.
My favorite story in this book however, is, They Were Expendable”. It is the story of a man who finds comfort in television and movies to cope the year after he lost his wife. The story is told through the writing of a love letter to the dead love. This story captures the essence of what it is to grieve and to feel the guilt of moving on. Canty starts the story with, “After you died came the year of watching television.” As I continued through the story, I couldn’t help but to feel empathy for the protagonist. As he continues writing the letter, you feel like you’re sitting next to him on his couch, watching movies too. He talks about how his friends try to keep him busy and away from home. He responds with, “They didn’t understand---that home was the one place I could be without, you, lost in the rainy Philippines, torpedoing the Japs. . . .I could not, without hurting their feelings, tell them that really they were making things worse for me, making me feel and think and talk.” Telling the story through a love letter, is an interesting and creative way to show character change, which Canty does quite effectively.
Overall, Where The Money Went, is a well written compilation of short stories about the variations of love. It’s a breath of fresh air to read a book of love written in the male perspective, which contradicts the stereotypes of being hopelessly romantic or emphatically sexist.
In this compilation of short stories, Canty takes the reader through what it is to be a man in love, out of love, and how it feels to cope through the loss of a true love.
From the moment I opened Where The Money Went, I knew it was different. Kevin Canty takes control of the writing craft. Canty takes syntax and manipulates it in an awkward yet, effective way. In his story, The Emperor of Ice Cream, he writes, “THE SUMMER HE ALMOST KILLED HIS BROTHER, Lander spent working the front desk of the University library, watching the girls go by in their summer shorts and dresses.” Not only did this amazing first sentence catch my attention, but its awkward wording set the tone for the entire story. The first sentence’s foreign construction shows exactly how Lander feels towards his family after the accident with his brother. This attention getting technique is used quite frequently throughout the book. In the title story of the book, Where The Money Went, Canty uses a technique that I have seen before in Tim O’Brien’s story, “The Things They Carried”. O’Brien used listing as a way of telling a story and as a way of making small details important. Canty uses this same technique, but instead of describing soldiers in war, he describes a crumbling marriage. Canty writes, “He sat with a pencil and envelope back (he was pre-approved for fifty thousand dollars more) and tried to figure how a simple skiing weekend could cost so much: lift tickets, lunches, the fat, hourglass-shaped skis he bought himself and then, out of something like guilt, bought his wife. It wasn’t the skis he bought himself that were wasted, he thought. He was a decent skier, he enjoyed it. No, it was the skis he bought his wife, hoping to encourage her. She used them that weekend and never again. Five hundred for the skis, one-and- a- quarter for the bindings. Then of course new boots. That was a waste, he thought.”
I found this story particularly interesting. Because Canty uses listing to show the relationship, it doesn’t feel like he is saying much, however, as the story progresses, I realized he was showing the couple through credit card receipts. He was saying a lot about the couple. Even though he doesn’t directly say it, it is clear that the couple tries to keep up with the people around them.
My favorite story in this book however, is, They Were Expendable”. It is the story of a man who finds comfort in television and movies to cope the year after he lost his wife. The story is told through the writing of a love letter to the dead love. This story captures the essence of what it is to grieve and to feel the guilt of moving on. Canty starts the story with, “After you died came the year of watching television.” As I continued through the story, I couldn’t help but to feel empathy for the protagonist. As he continues writing the letter, you feel like you’re sitting next to him on his couch, watching movies too. He talks about how his friends try to keep him busy and away from home. He responds with, “They didn’t understand---that home was the one place I could be without, you, lost in the rainy Philippines, torpedoing the Japs. . . .I could not, without hurting their feelings, tell them that really they were making things worse for me, making me feel and think and talk.” Telling the story through a love letter, is an interesting and creative way to show character change, which Canty does quite effectively.
Overall, Where The Money Went, is a well written compilation of short stories about the variations of love. It’s a breath of fresh air to read a book of love written in the male perspective, which contradicts the stereotypes of being hopelessly romantic or emphatically sexist.
April 13, 2011
Once, I was fortunate enough to be present for a reading from Kevin Canty's short story collection, "Where the Money Went." Today, I do not know whether it is the clean, pragmatic voice of his writing or the memory of his spoken narration that helps me more when I am absorbed by his work. "Where the Money Went" merely had to ask me to listen; the book itself did the rest of the work.
What I mean to say is that Canty's collection is not only an entertaining read, but one I could easily get into. For instance, the book's first short (also its namesake) reads like the opening act to an all-star cast production. In just two short pages, "Where the Money Went" (the short, not the book) sets up our expectations with a blurb; a brief survey of an soon-to-be ex-husband overlooking his finances relative to his family life. In the closing passages, his frustrations turn towards his ten year old son, lounging luxuriously in his father's pool. "He gets it from her, he thought angrily. That indolence. He looked on his son with disgust. The rest of the money, what there was of it, went for the lawyers" (6).
Financial concern is a theme which carries on throughout much of "Where the Money Went," as do marital struggles. Interestingly enough, the latter appears to take center stage in lieu of the former as the stories keep coming, gradually shifting in emphasis.
"A marriage is alive for as long as it's alive, and then it's gone," Canty writes in his short, "The Birthday Girl." "What's left is no more than a bitter smell, like something burning. It fills the empty space where the feelings used to be. But it is not the feeling" (94). This kind of rhetoric comes from another embittered ex-husband, but Canty also addresses similar concerns with widowers in his short, "They Were Expenable."
In this particular short, Canty takes on a more personal tone by writing in a kind of "second person," seeming to address the reader at first, though it's soon clear that the speaker is addressing his deceased wife. Althroughout this short, the angst and lingering pain is palpable, showcasing Canty's range and ability to capture all the nuances of this highly sensitive, highly personal struggle. "Here are the things I have learned," the widower says, "there is enough suffering in this world; there is no use for suffering; there is no making sense of things sometimes" (41).
Of course, this isn't to suggest that Canty is incapable of comic relief. Many times, I found myself laughing at his characters' tongue-in-cheek observations, like that of a husband cheating on his wife in "The Boreal Forest."
"We did sleep together once, Maria and I, while the baby slept in the other room. Catherine was at her mother's funeral. We didn't mean to." I couldn't resist chuckling inwardly at the last sentence of this passage, but the speaker went on to say, "I don't think I'm any worse than anybody else, I'm sure of it, in fact" (97). This brand of humor makes itself known throughout Canty's collection, and helps to alleviate the often brooding, but no less believable and absorbing mood.
Kevin Canty's "Where the Money Went" is a perfect read for anyone who enjoys a stark sense of humor and a matter-of-fact, no-reservations style of voice. Canty's writing takes on an almost "noir-esque" quality, and seems as though it ought to be read aloud, only further emphasizing its vivid, lively portrayal of real-life, contemporary drama.
What I mean to say is that Canty's collection is not only an entertaining read, but one I could easily get into. For instance, the book's first short (also its namesake) reads like the opening act to an all-star cast production. In just two short pages, "Where the Money Went" (the short, not the book) sets up our expectations with a blurb; a brief survey of an soon-to-be ex-husband overlooking his finances relative to his family life. In the closing passages, his frustrations turn towards his ten year old son, lounging luxuriously in his father's pool. "He gets it from her, he thought angrily. That indolence. He looked on his son with disgust. The rest of the money, what there was of it, went for the lawyers" (6).
Financial concern is a theme which carries on throughout much of "Where the Money Went," as do marital struggles. Interestingly enough, the latter appears to take center stage in lieu of the former as the stories keep coming, gradually shifting in emphasis.
"A marriage is alive for as long as it's alive, and then it's gone," Canty writes in his short, "The Birthday Girl." "What's left is no more than a bitter smell, like something burning. It fills the empty space where the feelings used to be. But it is not the feeling" (94). This kind of rhetoric comes from another embittered ex-husband, but Canty also addresses similar concerns with widowers in his short, "They Were Expenable."
In this particular short, Canty takes on a more personal tone by writing in a kind of "second person," seeming to address the reader at first, though it's soon clear that the speaker is addressing his deceased wife. Althroughout this short, the angst and lingering pain is palpable, showcasing Canty's range and ability to capture all the nuances of this highly sensitive, highly personal struggle. "Here are the things I have learned," the widower says, "there is enough suffering in this world; there is no use for suffering; there is no making sense of things sometimes" (41).
Of course, this isn't to suggest that Canty is incapable of comic relief. Many times, I found myself laughing at his characters' tongue-in-cheek observations, like that of a husband cheating on his wife in "The Boreal Forest."
"We did sleep together once, Maria and I, while the baby slept in the other room. Catherine was at her mother's funeral. We didn't mean to." I couldn't resist chuckling inwardly at the last sentence of this passage, but the speaker went on to say, "I don't think I'm any worse than anybody else, I'm sure of it, in fact" (97). This brand of humor makes itself known throughout Canty's collection, and helps to alleviate the often brooding, but no less believable and absorbing mood.
Kevin Canty's "Where the Money Went" is a perfect read for anyone who enjoys a stark sense of humor and a matter-of-fact, no-reservations style of voice. Canty's writing takes on an almost "noir-esque" quality, and seems as though it ought to be read aloud, only further emphasizing its vivid, lively portrayal of real-life, contemporary drama.
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April 8, 2011Where the Money Went by Kevin Canty
Vintage Contemporaries
Copyright 2009
Kevin Canty’s Where the Money Went, is a collection of short stories that makes an original and realistic statement about love, romantic and otherwise. Following the stories of nine different men in various situations, Canty explores what it’s like to be on the downside of love. The first story, which inspired the title, is perhaps the most unique throughout the book. It takes up only three pages and introduces the rest of the book by setting up the general feeling for the remainder of the stories. “Where the Money Went” details every possible expense a family man could think of, summing up all the woes of a man’s mundane life. In lists, Canty explains just what it feels like to experience things that happen every day, such as dealing with children’s schools or being embarrassed by your wife. In “Where the Money Went,” he takes these things and makes them interesting to read about in a way that lets the reader relate to the characters and reflect on his or her own life.
The remaining eight stories differ from the first. They are longer, giving the reader more time to soak in the plot, and deal with most types of love that are given every day and often overlooked. Most love stories detail romances but Canty writes love stories that review the relationships between brothers and sisters, fathers and sons, and lovers as well. One great thing about Canty’s writing is that he never stereotypes. He takes a realistic outlook on life and love and portrays that in his stories. For example, “In the Burn” is a story about a man who is seeing a woman with a child. She seemingly breaks off their relationship but after he spends a day alone with her son, she sees in the man a new potential. At the end of the story, she invites him inside. They both know that they can be together for now, but at some point in the future, things probably will not work out. In this, Canty portrays the actual expectations of real people. Canty perfectly captures the ups and downs of life, knowing that nothing is certain and hardly anything is permanent.
Very few complaints surfaced after reading Canty’s collection of short stories. The main one deals with the fact that every story seems to have the same tone. The first story stood out, because it was short and to the point, but as I read on, one story began to blend into the next one. Every main character seems to have the same outlook on life. There is a conflict that needs to be resolved but oftentimes the main character looks on without trying to resolve it. At first, the main characters tend to sit on the sidelines, observing and hoping that the conflict resolves itself. However, at the end of each story, the character has a sudden change of heart and dives headfirst into the issue. While this, in general, is a perfectly legitimate way to tell a story, reading a whole book full of the same pattern eventually becomes a little tedious. All in all, though, Canty takes the reader through vivid imagery and believable tales, making for a good but slow and steady read.
Vintage Contemporaries
Copyright 2009
Kevin Canty’s Where the Money Went, is a collection of short stories that makes an original and realistic statement about love, romantic and otherwise. Following the stories of nine different men in various situations, Canty explores what it’s like to be on the downside of love. The first story, which inspired the title, is perhaps the most unique throughout the book. It takes up only three pages and introduces the rest of the book by setting up the general feeling for the remainder of the stories. “Where the Money Went” details every possible expense a family man could think of, summing up all the woes of a man’s mundane life. In lists, Canty explains just what it feels like to experience things that happen every day, such as dealing with children’s schools or being embarrassed by your wife. In “Where the Money Went,” he takes these things and makes them interesting to read about in a way that lets the reader relate to the characters and reflect on his or her own life.
The remaining eight stories differ from the first. They are longer, giving the reader more time to soak in the plot, and deal with most types of love that are given every day and often overlooked. Most love stories detail romances but Canty writes love stories that review the relationships between brothers and sisters, fathers and sons, and lovers as well. One great thing about Canty’s writing is that he never stereotypes. He takes a realistic outlook on life and love and portrays that in his stories. For example, “In the Burn” is a story about a man who is seeing a woman with a child. She seemingly breaks off their relationship but after he spends a day alone with her son, she sees in the man a new potential. At the end of the story, she invites him inside. They both know that they can be together for now, but at some point in the future, things probably will not work out. In this, Canty portrays the actual expectations of real people. Canty perfectly captures the ups and downs of life, knowing that nothing is certain and hardly anything is permanent.
Very few complaints surfaced after reading Canty’s collection of short stories. The main one deals with the fact that every story seems to have the same tone. The first story stood out, because it was short and to the point, but as I read on, one story began to blend into the next one. Every main character seems to have the same outlook on life. There is a conflict that needs to be resolved but oftentimes the main character looks on without trying to resolve it. At first, the main characters tend to sit on the sidelines, observing and hoping that the conflict resolves itself. However, at the end of each story, the character has a sudden change of heart and dives headfirst into the issue. While this, in general, is a perfectly legitimate way to tell a story, reading a whole book full of the same pattern eventually becomes a little tedious. All in all, though, Canty takes the reader through vivid imagery and believable tales, making for a good but slow and steady read.
February 21, 2011
“Is it Love, or just Lust?”
“Where the Money Went”
By Kevin Canty
Grove Press
New York, 2009
Kevin Canty gives readers a whole new realm of love to consider in his collection of short stories, “Where the Money Went.” In this collection, he writes nine different stories that revolve around gaining love, losing love, and discovering different forms that the characters aren’t sure are love, that maybe are just lust.
Canty tended to stay with a third person limited point of view for his characters, except for two of his stories. In “They Were Expendable,” Canty uses a second person point of view, where the main character talks to his deceased wife, and in “The Birthday Girl,” Canty uses first person point of view. The second person point of view seemed to fit with the point of his story, which spoke of being able to move on after someone you love dearly has died. The shows and movies that the character watches, even the porn, have a place in the story in the sense that they describe feelings he isn’t able to articulate. This one paragraph is a great example of this: “-And John Wayne and I said goodbye to Donna Reed, knowing that we would not see each other again in this life, in the Philippines or anywhere else. We did not fuss or cry. Each of us going to fight the Japanese in our own way. To soldier on.-“ Also, there is no mention of a name for the main character. This gives the notion that the reader could possibly place their self into this situation, to almost become the main character their self. It gives it a whole new meaning to the writing and the connection made to the story. On the other hand, “The Birthday Girl” uses the first person point of view to delve deeper into the head of Richard, the main character in this story. It gives the reader a glimpse into how he feels about his situation with his wife, and why he denies a woman when she presents herself to him.
Canty’s writing style is unique and intriguing, drawing the writer in. He uses a lot of imagery to convey hidden meanings for the feelings the characters are experiencing. For instance, the main character, Lander, in “The Emperor of Ice Cream” sees the quiet of his summer job in a library and the melancholy atmosphere of scoping ice cream at his job at an ice cream parlor as an escape from the tense atmosphere at home, where he is blamed for getting his brother in a car accident, both from his family and also himself. Canty has short phrases when he wants to make a point, but mostly writes long, continuous sentences to signify the character’s wandering train of thought.
Overall, Canty has a realistic, almost sarcastic approach to his writing, bringing his stories to life. His words pull readers in, causing them to rethink their opinion on love and consider that Canty’s short stories could possibly be a reality instead of a fantasy. An author who causes readers to question preconceived notions they have had is a fantastic writer, one which other writers can learn a lot from.
“Where the Money Went”
By Kevin Canty
Grove Press
New York, 2009
Kevin Canty gives readers a whole new realm of love to consider in his collection of short stories, “Where the Money Went.” In this collection, he writes nine different stories that revolve around gaining love, losing love, and discovering different forms that the characters aren’t sure are love, that maybe are just lust.
Canty tended to stay with a third person limited point of view for his characters, except for two of his stories. In “They Were Expendable,” Canty uses a second person point of view, where the main character talks to his deceased wife, and in “The Birthday Girl,” Canty uses first person point of view. The second person point of view seemed to fit with the point of his story, which spoke of being able to move on after someone you love dearly has died. The shows and movies that the character watches, even the porn, have a place in the story in the sense that they describe feelings he isn’t able to articulate. This one paragraph is a great example of this: “-And John Wayne and I said goodbye to Donna Reed, knowing that we would not see each other again in this life, in the Philippines or anywhere else. We did not fuss or cry. Each of us going to fight the Japanese in our own way. To soldier on.-“ Also, there is no mention of a name for the main character. This gives the notion that the reader could possibly place their self into this situation, to almost become the main character their self. It gives it a whole new meaning to the writing and the connection made to the story. On the other hand, “The Birthday Girl” uses the first person point of view to delve deeper into the head of Richard, the main character in this story. It gives the reader a glimpse into how he feels about his situation with his wife, and why he denies a woman when she presents herself to him.
Canty’s writing style is unique and intriguing, drawing the writer in. He uses a lot of imagery to convey hidden meanings for the feelings the characters are experiencing. For instance, the main character, Lander, in “The Emperor of Ice Cream” sees the quiet of his summer job in a library and the melancholy atmosphere of scoping ice cream at his job at an ice cream parlor as an escape from the tense atmosphere at home, where he is blamed for getting his brother in a car accident, both from his family and also himself. Canty has short phrases when he wants to make a point, but mostly writes long, continuous sentences to signify the character’s wandering train of thought.
Overall, Canty has a realistic, almost sarcastic approach to his writing, bringing his stories to life. His words pull readers in, causing them to rethink their opinion on love and consider that Canty’s short stories could possibly be a reality instead of a fantasy. An author who causes readers to question preconceived notions they have had is a fantastic writer, one which other writers can learn a lot from.
April 6, 2011
Kevin Canty’s Where the Money Went is a collection of short stories that, while not overlapping, create a circular feel with their storylines and characters. Canty’s writing style is expressive and descriptive, lingering on details that most writers would not pay much attention to, which makes for a passionate and realistically deep story every time.
The stories selected for this compilation are varied in many ways—diction, syntax, perspective from which it is told, etc.—though the fluidity of the writing style never changes. There are nine stories contained within the pages of this book, and every one of them was enjoyable in its own way. For example, the deeply contemplative and passion-filled “They Were Expendable,” which tells the story of a widowed man being with another woman after her death. Canty fills the pages with so much descriptive beauty that the reader can easily imagine him- or herself in the setting with the characters, experiencing the tastes, touches, and smells as the unnamed narrator does. Also in this selected short story, Canty employs an unusual second person perspective, with the “you” addressed being the man’s deceased wife. This simple detail is what turns this story from a mournful loss of love to one of budding hope.
However, these stories also contain similar themes—albeit ones of love and lust. Most of the stories, and “The Emperor of Ice Cream” in particular, are almost absurd with the lengths they take to have romance contained in the story. For example, in the aforementioned short story, the ending concludes with the main character kissing Soleil, the girl who had just half an hour previously stubbornly refused to leave a bar, creating a confrontation that had nearly gotten the man’s recently-healed brother killed. Lust plays a role in several of the other stories as well, including “They Were Expendable,” which contains a love scene that seems far more aggressive than passionate, and “No Place in This World for You.” The main character of this story kisses a woman on a whim, one of his clients that he is trying to find a house for, and is then caught by his young son—though in this case, the emphasis is more on his son than the woman, which brings another similar theme: men acting as fathers. The fatherly figure is important in all of Canty’s stories; in “In the Burn,” the main character takes on a patriarchal role for his girlfriend’s young son Eddie, giving him special treatment and bringing him to where there was a forest fire, despite the fact he knew Eddie’s mother would not like it.
Such ties of family and of friendship are prevalent throughout Canty’s stories, creating, as said above, a very closed loop feel. Canty is a highly artistic writer, leaving each page with beautiful details and descriptions and creating a very calming, peaceful tone, even in sad and depressed situations. These short stories were amusing and touching, and surely would be a good recommendation for someone who wants a quick read with surprising depth.
The stories selected for this compilation are varied in many ways—diction, syntax, perspective from which it is told, etc.—though the fluidity of the writing style never changes. There are nine stories contained within the pages of this book, and every one of them was enjoyable in its own way. For example, the deeply contemplative and passion-filled “They Were Expendable,” which tells the story of a widowed man being with another woman after her death. Canty fills the pages with so much descriptive beauty that the reader can easily imagine him- or herself in the setting with the characters, experiencing the tastes, touches, and smells as the unnamed narrator does. Also in this selected short story, Canty employs an unusual second person perspective, with the “you” addressed being the man’s deceased wife. This simple detail is what turns this story from a mournful loss of love to one of budding hope.
However, these stories also contain similar themes—albeit ones of love and lust. Most of the stories, and “The Emperor of Ice Cream” in particular, are almost absurd with the lengths they take to have romance contained in the story. For example, in the aforementioned short story, the ending concludes with the main character kissing Soleil, the girl who had just half an hour previously stubbornly refused to leave a bar, creating a confrontation that had nearly gotten the man’s recently-healed brother killed. Lust plays a role in several of the other stories as well, including “They Were Expendable,” which contains a love scene that seems far more aggressive than passionate, and “No Place in This World for You.” The main character of this story kisses a woman on a whim, one of his clients that he is trying to find a house for, and is then caught by his young son—though in this case, the emphasis is more on his son than the woman, which brings another similar theme: men acting as fathers. The fatherly figure is important in all of Canty’s stories; in “In the Burn,” the main character takes on a patriarchal role for his girlfriend’s young son Eddie, giving him special treatment and bringing him to where there was a forest fire, despite the fact he knew Eddie’s mother would not like it.
Such ties of family and of friendship are prevalent throughout Canty’s stories, creating, as said above, a very closed loop feel. Canty is a highly artistic writer, leaving each page with beautiful details and descriptions and creating a very calming, peaceful tone, even in sad and depressed situations. These short stories were amusing and touching, and surely would be a good recommendation for someone who wants a quick read with surprising depth.
April 13, 2011
Kevin Canty’s “Where the Money Went” published 2009 by Nan A. Taleses is a collection of fiction short stories told from the male perspective. From stories about heartbreak and disappointment to tales about cheating hearts, Kevin Canty captures a side of human relationships that is refreshingly stark and at times brutal.
When Kevin Canty read “They Were Expendable” during class, I knew that I had to read his book for my review. Hearing him read that story with those haunting descriptions of the realities of loneliness and despair was a genuine experience. The following lines express the sentiment Canty showed through his character: “And then all at once I thought of you, I remembered you. And I felt this great sensation of betrayal, as if by forgetting you--by drinking and talking and carrying on as if you had never been in my life--I had let you disappear. Because I knew that in my heart was the last place in the world you lived.” These lines would touch someone who knows of true love as well as loss because the only way to keep someone with a person when they are gone is to keep them in their heart.
In Kevin Canty’s visit to UCF on February 16, 2011 he told the class that “great stories are about great characters.” “Sleeping Beauty” is a simple story about a group of friends with engaging characters. “Andrew isn’t even sure he wants these nice things, although he has been able to afford them for some time. And it was OK, it was ridiculous for him to be living in that one room and eating off the card table, sleeping on a mattress on the floor.” This story has characters with faults and the people in it are damaged like most people. When Susan is sleeping like sleeping beauty it adds a moment of innocence. Then we get thrusted into disappointment by the group’s dysfunction when we find out Susan was faking sleep and wanted to have sex with Andrew because her husband and one of the other guests who just left are cheating.
“The Boreal Forest” was a good glimpse into the humanistic ways by which people have tendencies to behave. This man had choices to make in his life. Canty used a clever way to convey this fact. Right after talking about the choice he made to sleep with Maria he cleverly says, “Two miles in, I had a choice to make.” Then near the end of the paragraph he reflects on another decision he made on the mountain and shows even more of his character to the reader. “It might have been a good idea to turn around. I didn’t though--I didn’t want to. I’d been looking forward to this...”
Canty’s descriptions and characters are captivating and hauntingly realistic. He knows how to capture moments and pull the reader in close. His writings are not only excellent to read but wonderful examples of how to write great stories.
When Kevin Canty read “They Were Expendable” during class, I knew that I had to read his book for my review. Hearing him read that story with those haunting descriptions of the realities of loneliness and despair was a genuine experience. The following lines express the sentiment Canty showed through his character: “And then all at once I thought of you, I remembered you. And I felt this great sensation of betrayal, as if by forgetting you--by drinking and talking and carrying on as if you had never been in my life--I had let you disappear. Because I knew that in my heart was the last place in the world you lived.” These lines would touch someone who knows of true love as well as loss because the only way to keep someone with a person when they are gone is to keep them in their heart.
In Kevin Canty’s visit to UCF on February 16, 2011 he told the class that “great stories are about great characters.” “Sleeping Beauty” is a simple story about a group of friends with engaging characters. “Andrew isn’t even sure he wants these nice things, although he has been able to afford them for some time. And it was OK, it was ridiculous for him to be living in that one room and eating off the card table, sleeping on a mattress on the floor.” This story has characters with faults and the people in it are damaged like most people. When Susan is sleeping like sleeping beauty it adds a moment of innocence. Then we get thrusted into disappointment by the group’s dysfunction when we find out Susan was faking sleep and wanted to have sex with Andrew because her husband and one of the other guests who just left are cheating.
“The Boreal Forest” was a good glimpse into the humanistic ways by which people have tendencies to behave. This man had choices to make in his life. Canty used a clever way to convey this fact. Right after talking about the choice he made to sleep with Maria he cleverly says, “Two miles in, I had a choice to make.” Then near the end of the paragraph he reflects on another decision he made on the mountain and shows even more of his character to the reader. “It might have been a good idea to turn around. I didn’t though--I didn’t want to. I’d been looking forward to this...”
Canty’s descriptions and characters are captivating and hauntingly realistic. He knows how to capture moments and pull the reader in close. His writings are not only excellent to read but wonderful examples of how to write great stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2012
I first fell under Kevin Canty's spell after reading `Winslow in Love'. Since then, I've read everything he writes.
His newest book, `Where the Money Went', is a collection of nine short stories. Almost all of them are about damaged people, the precariousness of life and happiness, what it feels like to be dispossessed, lonely or disenfranchised, and the role of alcohol in the aforementioned.
My favorite story in the collection, by far, is `No Place in This World for You'. It is about a couple that has a little boy who bites. The boy bites rarely, but for reasons. As the story opens he has just been expelled from his day care program for biting. Neither parent can get a handle on their son or his biting. Mom is more interested in keeping in shape and exercising, not wanting to spend time with her son. Dad is a realtor who takes his son with him when he goes to show houses, setting him up with his own videos in a back room.
The collection starts off with `Where the Money Went', a very short story about the dissolution of a marriage. The husband is looking back at his marriage with anger and wondering where all the money went. `The Emperor of Ice Cream' is about two brothers who see each other for the first time following a terrible car accident that occurred about two months previously. One of the brothers was driving and escaped the accident uninjured. The other brother has been injured terribly and has spent the time since the accident in a nursing home.
In `In the Burn', a young boy finds a dog in a burnt forest where his mother's boyfriend works. His mother and her boyfriend are splitting up and the young boy feels lost and alone. `They were Expendable' is a powerful story about a man who has been grieving the death of his love for the last year. He gradually tries to enter the world of the living and connect with others. Themes of the other stories encompass loneliness, alienation, secrets in marriage and lost people. In `The Boreal Forest', Canty uses secrets in a marriage as a metaphor for the unknown and frightening occurrences in the natural world.
Canty's stories are often metaphorical or allegorical, laying out situations that appear simple at first but are frequently deeper and more complex than what they first appear to be. I especially appreciate the way that Canty creates situations primarily through dialogue and almost always from the male point of view. His stories are not happy ones, nor are they light. However, they are filled with the stuff of life, often the unhappy stuff. Despite unhappiness and challenges, the human spirit usually prevails.
His newest book, `Where the Money Went', is a collection of nine short stories. Almost all of them are about damaged people, the precariousness of life and happiness, what it feels like to be dispossessed, lonely or disenfranchised, and the role of alcohol in the aforementioned.
My favorite story in the collection, by far, is `No Place in This World for You'. It is about a couple that has a little boy who bites. The boy bites rarely, but for reasons. As the story opens he has just been expelled from his day care program for biting. Neither parent can get a handle on their son or his biting. Mom is more interested in keeping in shape and exercising, not wanting to spend time with her son. Dad is a realtor who takes his son with him when he goes to show houses, setting him up with his own videos in a back room.
The collection starts off with `Where the Money Went', a very short story about the dissolution of a marriage. The husband is looking back at his marriage with anger and wondering where all the money went. `The Emperor of Ice Cream' is about two brothers who see each other for the first time following a terrible car accident that occurred about two months previously. One of the brothers was driving and escaped the accident uninjured. The other brother has been injured terribly and has spent the time since the accident in a nursing home.
In `In the Burn', a young boy finds a dog in a burnt forest where his mother's boyfriend works. His mother and her boyfriend are splitting up and the young boy feels lost and alone. `They were Expendable' is a powerful story about a man who has been grieving the death of his love for the last year. He gradually tries to enter the world of the living and connect with others. Themes of the other stories encompass loneliness, alienation, secrets in marriage and lost people. In `The Boreal Forest', Canty uses secrets in a marriage as a metaphor for the unknown and frightening occurrences in the natural world.
Canty's stories are often metaphorical or allegorical, laying out situations that appear simple at first but are frequently deeper and more complex than what they first appear to be. I especially appreciate the way that Canty creates situations primarily through dialogue and almost always from the male point of view. His stories are not happy ones, nor are they light. However, they are filled with the stuff of life, often the unhappy stuff. Despite unhappiness and challenges, the human spirit usually prevails.
January 26, 2015
… è quello che ci stiamo chiedendo tutti. Scherzi a parte, è anche il titolo di una raccolta di racconti dello scrittore americano Kevin Canty. Non so nulla di lui, né l’avevo mai letto prima: di questo libretto sono venuta a sapere non più di tre settimane fa dal sito della casa editrice, minimum fax. Leggendone la scheda, mi incuriosiva la vantata capacità di “elevare il quotidiano dal banale”, di “creare storie di impianto tradizionale dalla trama finemente congegnata”, soprattutto di “rappresentare il mondo emotivo maschile con straordinaria potenza ed eleganza, di rivelarne la delicatezza nascosta dietro l’apparente solidità”.
Queste nove storie sono frammenti di vita abbastanza ordinari, non avvengono grandi cose, e non vi sono neppure conclusioni a sorpresa, o fulminanti, o destabilizzanti. È come se a un certo punto le luci puntate sul protagonista di turno di un determinato racconto si abbassassero pian piano, mentre egli sta ancora muovendosi sulla scena, e si passasse in questo modo “soffuso” alla nuova vicenda, lasciandoci per sempre all’oscuro di come le vite dei personaggi della vecchia, di cui abbiamo intravisto uno squarcio, proseguiranno. Si resta “in sospeso”, ma allo stesso tempo coinvolti da queste storie malinconiche di incomprensioni, tentativi falliti o inaspettatamente riusciti, piccoli gesti, riflessioni amare o nuove opportunità che si aprono. Forse il mio preferito fra i racconti è stato “La bella addormentata” (per una certa affinità col protagonista), bello (appassionante anche nella sua asciuttezza) “Ponti tagliati, vetri infranti”, riuscito anche “Non c’è posto per te in questo mondo”.
3/5
http://moloch981.wordpress.com/2012/0...
Queste nove storie sono frammenti di vita abbastanza ordinari, non avvengono grandi cose, e non vi sono neppure conclusioni a sorpresa, o fulminanti, o destabilizzanti. È come se a un certo punto le luci puntate sul protagonista di turno di un determinato racconto si abbassassero pian piano, mentre egli sta ancora muovendosi sulla scena, e si passasse in questo modo “soffuso” alla nuova vicenda, lasciandoci per sempre all’oscuro di come le vite dei personaggi della vecchia, di cui abbiamo intravisto uno squarcio, proseguiranno. Si resta “in sospeso”, ma allo stesso tempo coinvolti da queste storie malinconiche di incomprensioni, tentativi falliti o inaspettatamente riusciti, piccoli gesti, riflessioni amare o nuove opportunità che si aprono. Forse il mio preferito fra i racconti è stato “La bella addormentata” (per una certa affinità col protagonista), bello (appassionante anche nella sua asciuttezza) “Ponti tagliati, vetri infranti”, riuscito anche “Non c’è posto per te in questo mondo”.
3/5
http://moloch981.wordpress.com/2012/0...
October 1, 2016
Opnieuw een schrijver van een verhalenbundel die op de achterflap wordt vergeleken met Raymond Carver. Wie wordt niet getoetst aan deze meester van het korte verhaal? Probeer dan nog maar eens om de verwachtingen waar te maken. Canty slaagt daar vrij aardig in. Zoals bij Carver zijn de verhalen flarden van de levens van gewone Amerikanen. Het zijn vaak ook niet de meest gelukkige momenten in de levens van de hoofdpersonen. Het zijn wel momenten waarop ze even hun leven terug in hun handen lijken te krijgen. Veelal zijn de hoofdpersonen op zoek naar het gevoel van hoe het ooit was, toen de liefde net begon. Het grote verschil met Carver hierin is, dat je bij Canty duidelijk kunt stellen dat het niet zomaar een momentopnames zijn, eerder momenten die allesbepalend kunnen zijn in de levens van de hoofdpersonen.
Het mooie aan de verhalen is dat ze, zoals bij Carver, geen gesloten einde hebben. Je blijft als lezer eerder met het idee achter dat de kans groot is dat de hoofdpersonen wel verkeerde keuzes kunnen gaan maken. Je hoopt dat het niet zo is, maar je hebt het idee dat het weleens verkeerd zou kunnen aflopen. In Op de brandplek wil de ik-persoon indruk maken op het zoontje van zijn vriendin op de plek waar een grote bosbrand heeft gewoed. Ze vinden een hondje, een hondje die de ik-persoon bijt, maar die de jongen spaart. Eén van de mooiste verhalen vond ik Ze waren vervangbaar, waarin de hoofdpersoon aan zijn overleden vrouw schrijft over zijn nieuwe vriendin. "Je was er nog steeds toen we ophielden."
Al met al een prachtige verhalenbundel en een kennismaking met een schrijver waar ik zeker meer van ga lezen.
Het mooie aan de verhalen is dat ze, zoals bij Carver, geen gesloten einde hebben. Je blijft als lezer eerder met het idee achter dat de kans groot is dat de hoofdpersonen wel verkeerde keuzes kunnen gaan maken. Je hoopt dat het niet zo is, maar je hebt het idee dat het weleens verkeerd zou kunnen aflopen. In Op de brandplek wil de ik-persoon indruk maken op het zoontje van zijn vriendin op de plek waar een grote bosbrand heeft gewoed. Ze vinden een hondje, een hondje die de ik-persoon bijt, maar die de jongen spaart. Eén van de mooiste verhalen vond ik Ze waren vervangbaar, waarin de hoofdpersoon aan zijn overleden vrouw schrijft over zijn nieuwe vriendin. "Je was er nog steeds toen we ophielden."
Al met al een prachtige verhalenbundel en een kennismaking met een schrijver waar ik zeker meer van ga lezen.
April 11, 2011
Where the Money Went by Kevin Canty
In reading “Where the Money Went,” I learned as a reader and writer that I can explore emotional feelings and create humor with complete honesty. As I read this story, I learned a lot from a man’s point of view. I found that human relationships are a great topic for discussion in any fiction piece – it seems to have captured my attention and sparked interest in me as a reader (something I hope to do to my readers). This story shed light on a type of writing I have limited experience with – despair. Too often than not, I am afraid to explore that side of my writing, and Canty gave me an interest to do so in this piece. Canty uses characters that obtain faults, creating a link between real lives. He showcases the humanistic behaviors of people and the choices they have to face and make in life. One aspect of his writing I enjoyed a great deal of and will choose to use in my own writing, is his use of reflective conclusions – a reflective decision he has to make on the mountain -“It might have been a good idea to turn around. I didn’t though--I didn’t want to. I’d been looking forward to this...”
In reading “Where the Money Went,” I learned as a reader and writer that I can explore emotional feelings and create humor with complete honesty. As I read this story, I learned a lot from a man’s point of view. I found that human relationships are a great topic for discussion in any fiction piece – it seems to have captured my attention and sparked interest in me as a reader (something I hope to do to my readers). This story shed light on a type of writing I have limited experience with – despair. Too often than not, I am afraid to explore that side of my writing, and Canty gave me an interest to do so in this piece. Canty uses characters that obtain faults, creating a link between real lives. He showcases the humanistic behaviors of people and the choices they have to face and make in life. One aspect of his writing I enjoyed a great deal of and will choose to use in my own writing, is his use of reflective conclusions – a reflective decision he has to make on the mountain -“It might have been a good idea to turn around. I didn’t though--I didn’t want to. I’d been looking forward to this...”
August 30, 2024
Finished my second read through of this short story collection.
I think it’s a marvel. His sentences are so goddamn good and poetic to the ear. Some of the endings to these short stories blew me away. There’s real and honest emotion here, and while I can understand some reviewers opinions on the stories feeling a little similar or feeling male-y (infidelity, crumbling marriages, love and sex) I think overall it’s his sentences that continually elevates these stories into such exquisite form. They’re just masterfully crafted things.
Some of my favorites from before receded into the background a tad bit (“In the Burn”) while others leapt ahead (specifically “Sleeping Beauty” and especially “No Place in this World for You.”)
I think it’s a marvel. His sentences are so goddamn good and poetic to the ear. Some of the endings to these short stories blew me away. There’s real and honest emotion here, and while I can understand some reviewers opinions on the stories feeling a little similar or feeling male-y (infidelity, crumbling marriages, love and sex) I think overall it’s his sentences that continually elevates these stories into such exquisite form. They’re just masterfully crafted things.
Some of my favorites from before receded into the background a tad bit (“In the Burn”) while others leapt ahead (specifically “Sleeping Beauty” and especially “No Place in this World for You.”)
September 13, 2009
Canty was one of my mentors at the University of Montana, where I attended graduate school. I read this book in just two days -- it's a slim story collection that packs a lot of lyrical punch. There is loneliness and despair in these stories, but the sadness is so indirect so that it never waxes melodramatic. Really a lovely, poignant collection.
January 10, 2012
I would give this one 3 and a half stars if I could. The last few stories were a little boring and the subject matter (EVERYONE is unhappy in their relationships!) got repetitive for my tastes. I liked the majority of the stories, though, and I got a kick out of Canty's shoutout to his girlfriend's book God of the Animals, which is one of my favorites.
September 9, 2013
come nella precedente raccolta "tenersi la mano nel sonno", anche qui si parla di rapporti umani- della loro difficoltà, della compassione dello scrittore verso i suoi personaggi (e verso gli uomini, in generale). livello alto; i migliori: i sacrificati, non c'è posto per te a questo mondo, ponti tagliati e vetri infranti.
August 7, 2014
A great collection of stories about adult relationships that never seem to work out. Not sure YA would be interested in failed marriages and the angst of adults who's lives are falling apart, but this batch of stories is beautifully written. Both sad and tender it their honesty, these stories are a work of art. I love Canty and can't wait to read more of his work.
July 24, 2010
Written by a guy...all the stories wound up to have some kind of tie to cheating. My all-female book club was slightly unimpressed. But we did like his writing style, he set up the characters quickly and you felt like you already knew them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2011
Trenchant, sharp as crystal, sadfunnyawesomecleversimpletrue. All of the above. The lives of everyday people, of you and me, showcased with a quiet ferocity and a tone so true you half expect to look at those around you differently. Awesome.
July 21, 2013
Master of the mistake. Characters making mistakes--that's what Canty does best. Genius story writer. So many standouts in this collection. One if the few authors I have to read everything they write.
Want to read
June 4, 2009Excited about this new Canty collection coming soon!
June 3, 2010
He's a master of the short story. The prose leaves you to marvel and sometimes breaks your heart.
October 18, 2010
I decided to continue my short story reading with some Kevin Canty. There were some very good stories in this collection.
Want to read
July 16, 2012Burning Bridges, Breaking Glass
January 6, 2013
Another great story teller! I finally broke down and bought this book because the title intrigued me so. I wasn't disappointed. Will have to find more of Mr. Canty's work.
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