Animal Crackers: Stories

I'm not a big fan of short stories, but I really enjoyed Hannah Tinti's debut work. Each story involves animals, sometimes as main characters, sometimes just barely. Each story does delve into the darker side of human nature. I usually race through books eager to find out what happens next. This book invites you to savor each story and really think about what is going on. All the stories don't end with pat endings. They leave you a bit hanging with just hints of what happens next. I really enjoyed her writing style. Some stories hit everything right, like Animal Crackers. The story and characters are both memorable. Some stories like Preservation have very interesting characters but the story wasn't so keen. Each story did have something going for it-unique quirky characters or the manner of Ms. Tinti telling the story. The book back states the book to be "strange, funny, and unnerving." I originally took that to mean humorous. After reading the book, I know that they mean funny as weird or strange. I liked least the stories that left one wondering if the character was going crazy- the woman who kept seeing her cadaver or the woman who thought the stuffed bear was tracking her. I know it was symbolic, but I thought it could have been better expressed. All in all, a highly enjoyable read. Maybe I'll give more short stories a try!!

Hannah Tinti has written an array of entertaining dark stories. She is very talented and obviously has the gift of a very imaginative mind. For the reader that is looking for something dark and well written, this is a perfect choice for summer reading. It might as well be good for xmas, reading Animal Crackers might just make the reader a gentler, smarter person.

Tinti uses animals in a clever way to reveal something fundamentally human about all of the characters that inhabit the magical and beautiful stories in her collection. The stories evoke an emotional response deeply disturbing because they arise from events created by well developed characters that have a piece of us in them. My recommendation is to read the stories and then hold up a mirror -- Tinti will grab you in her web of literary precision.

Finally I found a new voice in short story writing that reminds us how good the form can be. The stories are original, funny and touch on aspects of our rawest emotions. First Raymond Carver, then Thom Jones, and now Hannah Tinti has resurrected the short story.

I read every page of this magical book with the excitement of discovering something new about myself and the world we share. Tinti's insight into the soul of every character, and the way she magically imbues animals with a prescient lens into the human condition, will touch you in a way like no other collection of short stories I've ever read has done before. Realizing this is her first book, I can't wait to see what else springs from the imagination of this new talent! Whatever it is, Tinti's books, current and future, like her storied animal companions, will roar!