Review of Fact Check and More Probing Tales

[Kajori Sheryl Paul]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Fact Check and More Probing Tales" by James Hanna.]

---

5 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Master storyteller James Hanna pens a thought-provoking anthology of short stories in his sixth book, Fact Check and More Probing Tales. The book consists of twenty-two short tales that would not only tickle your funny bone but also urge you to think. The stories are named The Land Fish, Life As We Knew It, The Lottery, Biff Malibu, Do You Do Hits?, The Bog Runs, The Good Pimp, Urban Cowboy, The Tallyman, Sandy Ajax, We Hardly Knew You, Did You See The Tasmanian Devil?, Single-Leg Pickup, Strutting Hog, The Snowbelly Trio, How I Done Good in School, How I Got Me Some Standards, Fact Check, Pickup, A Diamond As Big As A Black-Eyed Pea, Krispy Kremes, Contempt, and The Keeper of the Abyss.

Hanna penned the stories at different points in his life. They were published in myriad magazines. Naturally, the tales are quite varied. However, if you ask me to point out one common thing in all these short stories, I would undoubtedly say that life is the recurrent theme in this collection. Hanna explores the various facets of modern life in his book. His experiences in Australia and his long career in Criminal Justice makes his stories rich and relatable. I especially like the way he includes references from the classics as well as modern-day pop culture in his stories.

A number of the stories revolve around Toby Dawes, a young man from Putnam County, Indiana. When he was seventeen, his dad took him to Michigan City to get some sexual experience. There, he met Brandi, a part-time prostitute with a heart of gold. Since then, Toby's goal was to marry her. His quest to make Brandi his bride led to several misadventures. Of all the stories centered around Toby, my favorite would be Fact Check. Here, he somehow acquires a beautiful bird. The bird's fate in the end is indeed a shock for both Toby and us. I loved how Hanna used colloquial language in Toby's stories. This not only made them fun to read but also made Toby's tales more realistic.

We also have a couple of stories about Tom Hemmings. We first meet him in the story, Pickup. The night before his orientation as a guard in the Indiana Penal Farm, he meets Sally Porter at a lounge. Like Hemmings, I was trying my best to figure out Sally. Though I am a girl myself, Sally remained an enigma to me. We again meet Hemmings in The Keeper of the Abyss. Tom is now a counselor in the prison. His job brings Daniel Geegax, a pedophile with a great passion for literature, into his path. It is a testament to Hanna's writing that I found myself intrigued by the well-read pedophile against my better judgment.

Hanna touches on the pandemic and the impeachment of Donald Trump in Life As We Knew It, Krispy Kremes, and Contempt. In Life As We Knew It, the narrator goes overboard in his attempt to bring some semblance of normalcy for himself and his wife in the world of lockdown and social distancing. In Krispy Kremes, Joshua MacIntyre, the leader of the Brawny Lads, does his best to prevent the citizens of Putnamville from following the Covid 19 protocols. Little does anyone know that a piece of delicious creamy donut can upend the best-laid plans. In this story, we get to know the gullibility of people.

Some stories center on insightful conversations between the narrator and his wife. Discussions about favorite songs, what one would do if one were to go back in time, and one's childhood imaginary friend activated my thinking bug.

The stories The Lottery, Strutting Hog, and The Tallyman have an otherworldly vibe to them. They make you think about the administrative system. The Tallyman surprisingly put me in a stalker's shoes. This is one story that will stay with me for a long time. The Good Pimp is yet another story that is unique. You will have to read it to know how a pimp considers himself to be a savior.

Overall, Fact Check and More Probing Tales is an enthralling collection of short stories. I recommend it to all short story lovers. The book is well-edited to boot. I loved everything about it. Hence, I am happy to rate this perfect book 5 out of 5 stars.

******
Fact Check and More Probing Tales
View: on Bookshelves

[Grace Elkana]

I like that it contains 22 short stories. The fact that they are funny is an additional advantage. It will make them easy to sift through in a whim.

[Amy Luman]

I’m not a fan of short stories, so I don’t think that this is for me. I am impressed that many of these stories involve some of the same characters. That should make this anthology easier to read.

[Ogunkoya Mayowa]

A collection of short stories where one of the stories talks about how Toby was taken by his father to Michigan City to get some sexual experience which lead to him meeting Brandi, a part-time prostitute with a gold heart. Great review.

[Grace Lee Rose]

I love collection of stories. Each story always embodies a unique attribute making it fun to be read. The exploits of Toby is fun and engaging to read about. You carried out a good analysis of the book, and I appreciate you listed the titles of the stories. Well done.

[CrossK]

I love how the author used colloquial language in toby's story. Even though it's a short story, the review is fantastic .nice job.

[Wonders Titilopemi Aremu]

I'm not a fan of short stories but I'll recommend it to my friends that does. Above all, the book looks inspiring and interesting to read, I might change my mind and read it one day.

[Nerea]

A book containing 22 short, yet humorous and thought-provoking tales, what could go wrong??!! I would love to read the book and see what it professes...... Congratulations on being the BOTD.

[Manang Muyang]

I was thrilled to see the name of the author: James Hanna is one of the talented authors I got to know in OBC. I am a fan of short stories too. That the book is free is the clincher. This book made my day!

[John Kingsley Ken]

Knowing that this is a combination of a series of short stories makes me so interested in this intriguing book. Thanks for the great review.

[Tosin Le]

A book that makes one to critically think intrigues me. The mix of different stories in it made it more engaging and thought-provoking. Congrats on the book of the day.

[Kendal Low]

While I do enjoy a good humorous story, I'm really not a fan of short stories so I think I'll give this a miss. However, it does sound like James Hanna is a great author. Great review!

[MsChet Cherry]

A collection of fascinating, relatable and thought-provoking tales sounds intriguing.
The story of Toby interests me the most. I hope to read the book soonest.
Thanks for the amazing review and congrats to the author.

[Stephen Christopher 1]

I'm a huge fan of short stories and after reading the first one I'm hooked. Your review has me even more excited to keep going and I've moved this one to the top of my 'reading' list. Thanks so much.

[Faith Stacy Leon]

I love the different collections of short stories. They are intriguing. The writer did well to use a simple writing style. Im an avid fan of this book. Congrats on BOTD.