Book Review: Falling From Trees by Mike Fiorito
The Details
I have received a copy of this book, free of charge, in exchange for an honest review.
Media Type: Ebook
Title: Falling From Trees
Author: Mike Fiorito
Publisher: Loyola College/Apprentice House
Pages/Length: Ebook; 136
Release Date: February 9, 2021
Source: TLC Book Tours
Falling from Trees is a collection of tales in the tradition of Italo Calvino, Jorges Borges, Stanislaw Lem and even Philip K. Dick.
And while coming from the speculative tale tradition Falling from Trees strikes out new territory in exploring consciousness, identity and the human condition. More than just embodying ideas, these stories are written with heart and longing. And humor.
Some of the tales may have an apocalyptic feel, but hang in there, Falling from Trees, will delight you and restore your hope.
The Review
I always find it hard to review short story compilations, because it is tough to do without sharing how you feel about each story individually. However in Falling From Trees, Mike Fiorito has crafted a set of stories that tie into one another beautifully. There is a cohesive feeling throughout, walking that sometimes thin line between hope and despair. It was quite the experience.
If I had to choose a favorite, I think that “Twilight” would be it. This, in my opinion, is the perfect story to truly understand the whole of this collection. In a world that is past its prime, in a place where people are few, our protagonist reflects on his life from before. He looks back on those days fondly, recalling how many simple things he took for granted. This story really made me pause for a moment, and consider my own life. I am still slightly blown away at how such a short story could make me feel so many feelings all at once.
My only wish is that the pieces in this were slightly longer, to be honest. There were some that felt like they ended right on a precipice, where just a few more paragraphs would have rounded them out into something like what made me love “Twilight”. Still, it’s also entirely possible that is exactly what the author meant to happen, and so I contentedly read on. I can’t wait for a physical copy to show up so that I can slowly read through these again.
3 Comments
Sara Strand
Thank you for being on this tour! Sara @ TLC Book Tours
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eliotthecat
It is difficult to review short stories. I enjoyed most of them in this collection but I thought they were more vignettes than short stories. The interwoven ones were a bit odd. Overall, I enjoyed the book, though. Excellent review here!