Review- Uncommon Type

Goodreads Summary– A collection of seventeen wonderful short stories showing that two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks is as talented a writer as he is an actor.

A gentle Eastern European immigrant arrives in New York City after his family and his life have been torn apart by his country’s civil war. A man who loves to bowl rolls a perfect game–and then another and then another and then many more in a row until he winds up ESPN’s newest celebrity, and he must decide if the combination of perfection and celebrity has ruined the thing he loves. An eccentric billionaire and his faithful executive assistant venture into America looking for acquisitions and discover a down and out motel, romance, and a bit of real life. These are just some of the tales Tom Hanks tells in this first collection of his short stories. They are surprising, intelligent, heartwarming, and, for the millions and millions of Tom Hanks fans, an absolute must-have!

Writing

I was relieved to find out that Tom Hanks is indeed a good writer. I am wary about celebrities writing fiction, but in this case I had no reason to be. His writing is simple, but captivating. He knows how to tell a story. I would love to read a full length novel by him!

Everyday People

I really enjoyed the fact that the stories are about everyday people. I feels like these characters could be my friends, or my neighbours, or a stranger passing me on the street.

SciFi Elements

I was not expecting there to be space travel and time travel and it was a pleasant surprise! The SciFi elements were not forced and felt natural.

Favourite Stories

1. Christmas Eve
2. A Month on Greene Street
3. The Past is Important to Us

Female Characters

There was something about how he portrayed female characters that rubbed me the wrong way. In a lot of the stories the woman were overbearing, or just plain awful. The men did horrible things (like cheating) but that is okay because his wife ignores him. It just did not sit right with me. There were female characters I really liked, but they were always the protagonist. If a woman was a side character, she was “awful;.”

Least Favourite Stories

1. Three Exhausting Weeks
2. Welcome to Mars

“In the time I spend lollygagging over my whites and colors, Anna will drywall her attic, prepare her taxes, make her own fresh pasta, and start up a clothing exchange on the Internet.”

“In New York City real estate parlors took your money and lied to you, drug addicts relieved themselves in plain sight, and the Public Library was closed on Mondays.”

I am starting to really appreciate short story collections, so I would love any recommendations! If you are a fan of Tom Hanks, then I do not think you will be disappointed. If you could not care less about Tom Hanks, I still think you will enjoy many of these stories.