Lornographic Material

This short story has been sitting on my Kindle forever. I can't even remember how I came across it. I needed a break from STEELHEART, so I dug through my library. Boy am I glad I did.

DON'T EAT CAT is surprisingly deep. It starts off hilariously, and I thought I had picked up a comedy. I rarely laugh out loud while reading (movies, yeah; books, not so much) but I cackled a good dozen times at this one. I guess I gel with the author's sense of humor. 

I don't know if the story would be ruined by telling you what it's about, but it might be, so I'll only say this: It's an emotional rollercoaster ride. It starts off pedal-to-the-metal funny, then decelerates, becoming introspective, until finally it crashes head-first into icy waters, and we're plunged head first into soul-crushing sadness. It's hard to find a novel with range like this, much less a short story.

Most of you know I love sentences that describe things beautifully with simple language. Check this out: "His voice was ice in a blender." I got goose bumps. The author didn't have to say anything else. With that line I could hear the person in question perfectly; I could even see them quite clearly. That's why I read. Shit, that's why I write.

If you like passionate writing that isn't pretentious, I highly recommend this book. Hell, I almost want to buy it for you. I especially suggest this one to new authors. Jess Walter knows how to build his characters without exposition.

I will most certainly be looking for more from this author.