Review: Surprisingly poignant
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 14, 2012
It's difficult to fit into a form such as sonnet or haiku.Mark Bacon has fit the form, exactly 100 words with a beginning, middle and end. And, he has done more:  Many of his stories have an emotional charge associated with them, something that is challenging to do in 100 words.There is, for example, a story about a man who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease.  In 100 words Mark makes me feel compassion, sadness and joy.There's also revelation into human character.  I'm thinking of a story about a news helicopter pilot who truly, it turns out, has a heart.Some stories reveal the dumb side of human character, and inspire me not to be so dumb, such as a man who gives up on a girlfriend he would "give anything to find again" because she turns out to be a San Francisco Giants fan.One story succinctly portrays the depth of a father's love, when his daughter's being abused.  I won't give away the ending.  It's only 100 words.  Read it.One caveat:  Don't try to read the book in one sitting.  Think of it like a collection of Hors d'oeuvres.  I enjoy it much more reading one or two at a time.  It's great to whip out my Droid and read (or re-read) one or two of the stories while I'm waiting in a line at the supermarket, for example.