"People Tell Me Things" by David Finkle (With a Giveaway!)

I love New York City.  My father was raised in Yonkers, and my childhood is filled with memories of visiting "the city" (as if it was the only one).  Sure, I've done the touristy things (and loved it) but I've also had opportunity to just sit in a bar with friends and enjoy a good drink.  I've had some great meals (with a song or two) in Little Italy.  I've been in some of the coolest little shops I've ever seen.  I've been to New York.  But the city is different to different people, and I think it has got to mean so much more to those who live there.  David Finkle invites us into his New York City in this collection of his short stories.  The stories feel loosely connected - all the characters are from the same socio-economic background, and all are in some way involved with the arts - but the narrators change for each story, and there is no blatant crossover of characters between stories.

In a city as large as New York City, the human connection is important.  It could be easy to just fade away into the shadows without interacting meaningfully with others.  How is this accomplished?  Communication.  Conversation.  This is what Finkle examines in his stories; all the different aspects of conversation, what works and what happens when it goes wrong:  Listening the times you wish you spoke up.  Not picking up on non-verbal cues.  Saying one thing when you mean another.  Divulging a secret.   It's all there, plus some, in one form or another, and you'll recognize a situation you are familiar with.

I think I enjoyed the style of writing the most.  As the book is about conversation, it only makes sense that the stories feel, well, conversational.  I could imagine the narrator telling me the story, complete with sidebars, amusing anecdotes and sharing a little back story.  It was intriguing in an outsider-looking-in sort of way to see how that social set lives.  I think my two favorite stories were "Rembrandt Paints Again" and "Off On The Wrong Foot".  The first tells of an impossible situation that you want to believe in:  a man meets the famous painter on a cross town bus, and has his portrait done.  It is a little sad and mystical in a way, but I liked the way it made me feel.  The other story tells about an innocent little utterance among friends turns into a source of endless, and sort of cruel jokes until a whole new truth is discovered.  I thought this was well imagined, and was amused.

Now, how would you like to check out this book?  TLC Book Tours has graciously offered a copy to one of my readers (US/Canada only).  Please fill out THIS FORM to enter!  Giveaway ends December 7th, only one entry per person please.

*****
People Tell Me Things
by David Finkle
Nth Position, 2011
258 pages
Source:  TLC Book Tours for honest review
*****
Links for Purchase:

IndieBound (Indie Bookstore near you!)
Amazon