Official Review: THE ORCHARD: selected stories
Posted: 02 Mar 2019, 04:17
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "THE ORCHARD: selected stories" by Ira Sumner Simmonds.]
4 out of 4 stars
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In THE ORCHARD: selected stories, Ira Sumner Simmonds brings out the extraordinary in simple moments. The collection contains real-life stories that have some surprising twists. In the first story, Paul’s blooming orchard, located in Valley Views on the island of Saint Kitts, attracts unexpected intruders. The troops of monkeys teach him a thing or two about the behavior of the cunning primates. The story, “Peter’s Performance,” features a young boy whose insolence reveals much more about his background than his teacher originally imagined.
The stories contain an authenticity that makes them memorable. Most of the experiences are ordinary but through creativity, the author reveals the learning points in each of them. I liked the surprising elements contained in the collection. From the unexpected behavior of the juvenile female monkey in the story, “The Orchard,” reading about a family’s activities from a dog’s perspective in “Jeremy” and the unexpected opera in “Backyard Overture,” all the stories possess captivating aspects.
I also liked that the characters are well-developed in each story. Since the stories are short, the author minimizes the number of characters in each of them. This gives each main character sufficient space in the accounts and ensures only the details that help move the plots forward are included.
The author also incorporates humor in the collection which makes the stories even more captivating. In the story, “Tower Flight 222” two passengers whose flight has been delayed engage in an interesting conversation. One of the passengers constantly tries to engage another even though the other one is clearly not interested. The revelations of the chatty passenger contain entertaining bits about her life. The story “West Indian Hot Sauce” contains similar funny incidences.
The collection also includes many heartfelt moments that are emotional and powerful. Such moments include a story about a mother with Alzheimer’s disease.
I would have preferred that the stories contain similar themes since this would have connected them to each other even more. The same style of writing is maintained throughout which ties the accounts together but the disparity in the themes impedes the collection’s cohesiveness.
THE ORCHARD: selected stories by Ira Sumner Simmonds is very well edited and I did not identify any errors. It was a delightful read and readers who love short stories packed with emotion and humor will love reading it. Readers who prefer longer fictional narratives may not enjoy it. I rate it 4 out of 4 stars.
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THE ORCHARD: selected stories
View: on Bookshelves
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4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
In THE ORCHARD: selected stories, Ira Sumner Simmonds brings out the extraordinary in simple moments. The collection contains real-life stories that have some surprising twists. In the first story, Paul’s blooming orchard, located in Valley Views on the island of Saint Kitts, attracts unexpected intruders. The troops of monkeys teach him a thing or two about the behavior of the cunning primates. The story, “Peter’s Performance,” features a young boy whose insolence reveals much more about his background than his teacher originally imagined.
The stories contain an authenticity that makes them memorable. Most of the experiences are ordinary but through creativity, the author reveals the learning points in each of them. I liked the surprising elements contained in the collection. From the unexpected behavior of the juvenile female monkey in the story, “The Orchard,” reading about a family’s activities from a dog’s perspective in “Jeremy” and the unexpected opera in “Backyard Overture,” all the stories possess captivating aspects.
I also liked that the characters are well-developed in each story. Since the stories are short, the author minimizes the number of characters in each of them. This gives each main character sufficient space in the accounts and ensures only the details that help move the plots forward are included.
The author also incorporates humor in the collection which makes the stories even more captivating. In the story, “Tower Flight 222” two passengers whose flight has been delayed engage in an interesting conversation. One of the passengers constantly tries to engage another even though the other one is clearly not interested. The revelations of the chatty passenger contain entertaining bits about her life. The story “West Indian Hot Sauce” contains similar funny incidences.
The collection also includes many heartfelt moments that are emotional and powerful. Such moments include a story about a mother with Alzheimer’s disease.
I would have preferred that the stories contain similar themes since this would have connected them to each other even more. The same style of writing is maintained throughout which ties the accounts together but the disparity in the themes impedes the collection’s cohesiveness.
THE ORCHARD: selected stories by Ira Sumner Simmonds is very well edited and I did not identify any errors. It was a delightful read and readers who love short stories packed with emotion and humor will love reading it. Readers who prefer longer fictional narratives may not enjoy it. I rate it 4 out of 4 stars.
******
THE ORCHARD: selected stories
View: on Bookshelves
Like EmunahAn's review? Post a comment saying so!