Short, Shorter and Shorter Stories: For People Who Have to Wait

Chuck McCann
Nightengale Press (2005)
ISBN 1933449012
Reviewed by Beverly Pechin for Reader Views (4/06)

“Short, Shorter and Shorter Stories: For People Who Have to Wait” is a wonderful book that is meant for exactly what the title implies...anyone waiting around in a line, sitting at the doctor's office and hair salons, or even at the morning subway.

If you can't stand waiting and being bored, this is a wonderful way to spend those daunting minutes. This is a book packed full of, again as the title implies, some short, some shorter and some even shorter stories. Not any particular style or genre of fiction, this book is loaded with great little stories and antics of fictional characters.

The stories range from a take on “Jack the Ripper” to a little romantic type tryst and a lot of mystery/thriller tossed in between. You can leaf through the book and choose a title that just simply seems appealing or one that seems just long enough to take up the couple minutes you have to wait. There are one-pagers and six-pagers, and everything in between.

One of my favorites was “You Can't Go Back,” a four page story about a boy and his father who have carried on their lives, quite happily after the 'mother' decided she didn't want to be bothered being a wife or mother, and took off. It quickly covers how the life of the mother and father began, so desperately wanting a baby but unable to have one. They adopted their beautiful son, Dom, whom the mother later so easily decides she no longer wants and chooses her own freedom over the original path of motherhood. The end result is a father who realizes that his life really is quite wonderful, and he is truly blessed to still have this wonderful young man. It was a story, well told and somewhat deep, yet quickly read and finished well before I heard the waiting room announcement "The doctor is ready to see you now.”

I loved having the book handy in my purse, although I will admit it is fairly large for a carry along paperback book, but I never minded as it gave me such an array of great stories to read at any time and any place. I joked with my own kids that this was a great way for a reading addict like mommy to get her fix, even when it seemed impossible!

Often interesting, sometimes strange, this book is packed full of all types of short stories to keep you entertained. I'd highly recommend it to any true reading addict as a great 'fix' at any time!

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