Gravity

by Michael Davis

Although the stories in Gravity operate from the perspective of male speakers, the experiences they describe are as much about women as men. Bound up in them is the assumption that everything in life depends on being solvent, employed, and generally needed. These things constitute the gravity, or the seriousness, of one's situation―that which holds a person's life together and makes it mean something.

Genres: Fiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2009

Reviews

[flopsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow, this is amazing, and so underrated too. michael davis very much deserves a spot among my favorite writers. it's not that his writing is distinctly similar to salinger's, but reading this felt like reading salinger for the first time. child-like discovery, feeling so fulfilled and impressed with the world. feeling a new emotion or something, one i've only felt once before. i'm so grateful this exists. i feel like if i wrote a book it would use the same voice that michael davis uses in his writing. and that's such a rare thing! so that is a large reason of why i enjoy this so much. other reasons are that it's genuinely interesting all throughout, it's a great examination of the human experience and its struggles, and it's so funny as well. how could i ask for anything more?! i picked this up at the library book sale, and wished i could've known who had this book before me. i bet they were cool and had a lot of great book recs that i could've fed off of like the little pretentious parasite i am.

[Avid Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Davis is a brilliant, skillful new fiction writer, taking his reader on an active, engaged emotional roller coaster. I felt my head split open at the end of some of his stories, all the while laughing and moaning simultaneously. Davis' stories are smart, hilarious, and yet with great depth of insight into the layered, complex human condition. He takes fiction into new spaces, and is truly a great artist. Highly recommended!

[A.B. Neilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of stories that dwells in the human affairs with subtlety. Universal subjects like what is the place we occupy in the social structure or how do we deal with cruelty are part of this collection. High quality destilled in small dosis.