The story is about some almost aimless men meandering around flat terrain and occassionally having confusing conversations with each other or with the locals. The prose style of this one is also flat, confused, and meandering. I found this novel incredibly boring. My least favorite of his books, so far.
I love Ali Smith, but this one was a real slow starter for me. The second half is much more engaging than the first, at least it was for me.
I finished this a few days ago, but can't decide what I think. It was very well written, but maybe a little too cartoonish for me, for the seriousness of the subject. Although I'm not sure if there would have been another way to approach it that would have been readable.
The best story in the book is the one I had already read, and the reason I picked up the book. Some of these stories don't quite seem to do it for me, but they are all very atmospheric. They have a mood something like this song. 
Just wow. This is a great book. I can't begin to describe Ree, but she's one of the toughest characters I've ever read. And somehow, misery- and violence-filled though Woodrell's Ozarks seem to be, he somehow makes them magical
Some of the stories really knocked my socks off. Sorry Blood and Easy Pickings were my favorites, and I imagine I'll read them many times. Some of the other stories were also excellent, and there were a few that were good but not great. I will be seeking out his other books, books for sure. 
For a novel about a woman in her seventies on an alaskan cruise, this novel is surprisingly fast-paced. And although I wouldn't call it action-packed, it's full of surprising twists and turns. A very enjoyable read.
This is straight realism, and although it's pretty noir-ish, I wouldn't probably put it in the mystery genre. It's literary fiction peopled with detectives and genre themes. I really enjoyed it. If you are looking for a murder mystery, this isn't it, but the characters are very well drawn, and Raleigh's depictions of Chicago are as wonderful as ever.
Many of these earlier stories lack the subtlety that I love so much in his more recent work. Some of them that don't have it are strong stories anyway, but they are more "ordinary" shorts, for lack of a better word. Some of the stories that do have that subtlety are more like sketches than stories, and a couple of them are kind of disturbing. Well worth reading, if you are a PE fan and can get your hands on this book. I was able to get the e-book from the new york public library.
What a bizarre book! I've never read anything like it. It starts out as almost incomprehensible surrealism, and gradually evolves into realism. It also has this almost vilanelle-like repetition of phrases. Crazy.
