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丕賲倬乇丕鬲賵乇蹖 亘爻鬲賳蹖
Mixing the mundane with the metaphysical, the pairings of the everyday and the extraordinary in this collection of short fiction yield supernatural results鈥攁 young musician perceives another world while drinking coffee, a fairy chronicles his busy life in a sandcastle during the changing tide, a demonic 16th-century chess set shows up in a New Jersey bar, and Charon, the boatman of hell, takes a few days vacation. Storylines both conventional and outlandish reveal humdrum routines as menacing, or imaginary worlds as perfectly familiar. Allusions to authors such as Edgar Allan Poe and Jules Verne reinforce the fantasy tradition in these tales, while understated humor and moments of sadness add a quirky unpredictability. Also included is the previously unpublished novella, "Botch Town," a coming-of-age story about a boy on Long Island whose family and friends live ordinary lives under threats both real and imagined. Each story is followed by a brief afterword that details its genesis.
Contents
Introduction by Jonathan Carroll
The Annals of Eelin-Ok + Story Notes
Jupiter's Skull + Story Notes
A Night in the Tropics + Story Notes
The Empire of Ice Cream + Story Notes
The Beautiful Gelreesh + Story Notes
Boatman's Holiday + Story Notes
Botch Town + Story Notes
A Man of Light + Story Notes
The Green Word + Story Notes
Giant Land + Story Notes
Coffins on the River + Story Notes
Summer Afternoon + Story Notes
The Weight of Words + Story Notes
The Trentino Kid + Story Notes
Contents
Introduction by Jonathan Carroll
The Annals of Eelin-Ok + Story Notes
Jupiter's Skull + Story Notes
A Night in the Tropics + Story Notes
The Empire of Ice Cream + Story Notes
The Beautiful Gelreesh + Story Notes
Boatman's Holiday + Story Notes
Botch Town + Story Notes
A Man of Light + Story Notes
The Green Word + Story Notes
Giant Land + Story Notes
Coffins on the River + Story Notes
Summer Afternoon + Story Notes
The Weight of Words + Story Notes
The Trentino Kid + Story Notes
232 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2004
44 people are currently reading
1,328 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey Ford
235听books494听followersJeffrey Ford is an American writer in the Fantastic genre tradition, although his works have spanned genres including Fantasy, Science Fiction and Mystery. His work is characterized by a sweeping imaginative power, humor, literary allusion, and a fascination with tales told within tales. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Binghamton, where he studied with the novelist John Gardner.
He lives in southern New Jersey and teaches writing and literature at Brookdale Community College in Monmouth County. He has also taught at the summer Clarion Workshop for science fiction and fantasy writers in Michigan. He has contributed stories, essays and interviews to various magazines and e-magazines including MSS, Puerto Del Sol, Northwest Review, Hayden's Ferry Review, Argosy, Event Horizon, Infinity Plus, Black Gate and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.
He published his first story, "The Casket", in Gardner's literary magazine MSS in 1981 and his first full-length novel, Vanitas, in 1988.
He lives in southern New Jersey and teaches writing and literature at Brookdale Community College in Monmouth County. He has also taught at the summer Clarion Workshop for science fiction and fantasy writers in Michigan. He has contributed stories, essays and interviews to various magazines and e-magazines including MSS, Puerto Del Sol, Northwest Review, Hayden's Ferry Review, Argosy, Event Horizon, Infinity Plus, Black Gate and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.
He published his first story, "The Casket", in Gardner's literary magazine MSS in 1981 and his first full-length novel, Vanitas, in 1988.
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August 21, 2020This is Golden Gryphon book 44.
July 22, 2010
Wonderful stories. Almost five stars, but I hung back because a couple of stories didn't resonate as strongly.
I picked this up after reading the eponymous short story for TAW book club. It's an excellent, award-winning story: if you don't read the whole book, I highly recommend finding a copy of the story online.
A couple of the stories really snuck up on me. I thought the first story was clever up until I found myself crying at the end. "Jupiter's Skull", "A Night in The Tropics" and "Boatman's Holiday" are all clever and powerful short fiction. "Botch Town" painted a family and a town and a time so deftly I forgot they weren't real.
If I had one almost-complaint, it would be that Ford himself often seems to be the narrator. There are a few protagonists who seem like variations on a middle-aged writer from New Jersey. That said, a couple of those stories are among my favorites here, so I'm not sure it's actually a hindrance to my enjoyment. The best ghost stories are told as truth.
I picked this up after reading the eponymous short story for TAW book club. It's an excellent, award-winning story: if you don't read the whole book, I highly recommend finding a copy of the story online.
A couple of the stories really snuck up on me. I thought the first story was clever up until I found myself crying at the end. "Jupiter's Skull", "A Night in The Tropics" and "Boatman's Holiday" are all clever and powerful short fiction. "Botch Town" painted a family and a town and a time so deftly I forgot they weren't real.
If I had one almost-complaint, it would be that Ford himself often seems to be the narrator. There are a few protagonists who seem like variations on a middle-aged writer from New Jersey. That said, a couple of those stories are among my favorites here, so I'm not sure it's actually a hindrance to my enjoyment. The best ghost stories are told as truth.
September 1, 2023
賴賮鬲 丕夭 丿賴 爻鬲丕乇賴
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賵 禺賵卮丨丕賱賲 讴賴 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴鈥屸€屫й� 亘賴 禺賵亘蹖 噩賮乇蹖 賮賵乇丿 乇丕 丿乇 毓丕賱賲 诏賲丕賳賴鈥屫操� 倬蹖丿丕 讴乇丿賲.
倬.賳: 丕賵賱蹖賳 亘丕乇 讴賴 胤乇丨 噩賱丿 讴鬲丕亘 乇賵 鬲賵 睾乇賮賴 賳卮乇 倬乇蹖丕賳 丿蹖丿賲貙 丕夭卮 禺賵卮賲 賳蹖賵賲丿賴 亘賵丿 丕賲丕 亘毓丿賴丕 讴賴 讴鬲丕亘 乇賵 禺乇蹖丿賲 賵 丿丕卮鬲賲 賳賲蹖 鬲賵賳爻鬲賲 丕夭 胤乇丨 乇賵蹖 讴鬲丕亘 趩卮賲 亘乇丿丕乇賲 賵 賲丿丕賲 趩卮賲賲 乇賵 亘賴 爻賲鬲 禺賵丿卮 賲蹖鈥屭┴促堎嗀�.. 賵 賴賳賵夭 賴賲 賴乇 噩丕 亘亘蹖賳賲卮 亘賴卮 禺蹖乇賴 賲蹖鈥屫促�...
丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏й屰� 讴賴 噩賮乇蹖 賮賵乇丿 鬲毓乇蹖賮 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 丕氐丕賱鬲 禺丕氐蹖 丿丕乇賳丿貙 蹖讴 丕氐丕賱鬲 噩賮乇蹖 賮賵乇丿蹖..
丕賵 乇賵蹖 禺胤 亘丕乇蹖讴 亘蹖賳 賮丕賳鬲夭蹖 賵 毓賱賲蹖 鬲禺蹖賱蹖 賯丿賲 賲蹖鈥屫操嗀� 賵 丿乇 丕蹖賳 賮囟丕蹖 禺丕氐 丕蹖丿賴鈥屬囏й� 毓噩蹖亘卮 乇丕 亘賴 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賲蹖鈥屫①堌必�. 噩丕蹖蹖 賲孬賱 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 "噩丕蹖賳鬲鈥屬勝嗀�" 亘賴 夭毓賲 賲賳貙 賳賲蹖鈥屭屫必� 賵 噩丕賴丕蹖蹖 賲孬賱 丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏й� "丕賲倬乇丕胤賵乇蹖 亘爻鬲賳蹖" 賵 " 匕賴賳賽 讴丕鬲亘" 賳賴 鬲賳賴丕 賲蹖鈥屭屫必� 讴賴 讴丕賲賱丕 禺丕氐 賵 亘丕 丕乇夭卮 賲蹖鈥屫促堎嗀�. 丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏й� 丕賵 賮乇賯蹖 賳賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 讴賴 丿乇 趩賴 爻胤丨蹖 亘丕卮賳丿 趩賵賳鈥� 讴賴 賮賯胤 噩賮乇蹖 賮賵乇丿 丕爻鬲 讴賴 賲孬賱 噩賮乇蹖 賮賵乇丿 賲蹖鈥屬嗁堐屫池�.
丕賱亘鬲賴 丕蹖賳 诏夭丕乇賴鈥屬囏� 丿乇 賲丨丿賵丿賴 丿丕賳卮 賲丨丿賵丿 賲賳 丕夭 禺賵丕賳丿賴鈥屬囏ж池� 賵 賲賲讴賳 丕爻鬲 讴爻蹖 蹖丕 讴爻丕賳蹖 亘丕卮賳丿 讴賴 賳賵卮鬲賴鈥屬囏й屫簇з� 賴賲蹖賳 胤毓賲 賵 賲夭賴 乇丕 丿丕卮鬲賴 亘丕卮賳丿. 賲夭賴鈥屫й� 亘賴 卮诏賮鬲鈥屫з嗂屫槽� 亘爻鬲賳蹖 賯賴賵賴鈥屰� "丕賲倬乇丕胤賵乇蹖 亘爻鬲賳蹖"..
賵 禺賵卮丨丕賱賲 讴賴 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴鈥屸€屫й� 亘賴 禺賵亘蹖 噩賮乇蹖 賮賵乇丿 乇丕 丿乇 毓丕賱賲 诏賲丕賳賴鈥屫操� 倬蹖丿丕 讴乇丿賲.
倬.賳: 丕賵賱蹖賳 亘丕乇 讴賴 胤乇丨 噩賱丿 讴鬲丕亘 乇賵 鬲賵 睾乇賮賴 賳卮乇 倬乇蹖丕賳 丿蹖丿賲貙 丕夭卮 禺賵卮賲 賳蹖賵賲丿賴 亘賵丿 丕賲丕 亘毓丿賴丕 讴賴 讴鬲丕亘 乇賵 禺乇蹖丿賲 賵 丿丕卮鬲賲 賳賲蹖 鬲賵賳爻鬲賲 丕夭 胤乇丨 乇賵蹖 讴鬲丕亘 趩卮賲 亘乇丿丕乇賲 賵 賲丿丕賲 趩卮賲賲 乇賵 亘賴 爻賲鬲 禺賵丿卮 賲蹖鈥屭┴促堎嗀�.. 賵 賴賳賵夭 賴賲 賴乇 噩丕 亘亘蹖賳賲卮 亘賴卮 禺蹖乇賴 賲蹖鈥屫促�...
July 18, 2009
Why did I pick up Jeffrey Ford? Because he came with stellar reviews by Jonathan Carroll.
I read 鈥淭he Girl in the Glass,鈥� a novel by Ford, several months ago. It was good, but not blow-your-mind. So, I had taken his other books off my wishlist. However, someone had already picked up a copy of 鈥淓mpire of Ice Cream,鈥� a collection of his short stories, and I was gifted it shortly thereafter.
And really? Ford is definitely in his element with the short story.
Carroll鈥檚 intro explains it best: 鈥淥ne of the mot terrible losses man endures in his lifetime is not even noticed by most people, much less mourned. 鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 talking about the sense of wonder that is such an integral part of the world when we are children. 鈥�
鈥淎s adults we are not supposed to say or feel Wow, or wonder, of even true surprise because those things make us sound goofy, ingenuous, and childlike.
鈥淲hen I sat down to read Jeffrey Ford鈥檚 鈥楨mpire of Ice Cream,鈥� I knew only one thing: that for the next few hundred pages my mind would be swinging from a trapeze high above the ground with no net below.鈥�
This really encapsulates the essence of these stories, I think. One of the quirky aspects of my personality is that I do strive to see the awe in every day; to recapture that essence of wonder in the world around me. And in this collection, Ford really pushes the boundaries of imagination 鈥� usually without going so far as to find me running away screaming (pure sci fi and fantasy are not pushing boundaries to me; they go beyond the boundaries and try to create something wholly new 鈥� and I can never feel a sense of reality from them). He takes you from a vivid, ripe description of your world, to an altered, blurry version, recrisp-ed and possible.
I鈥檝e been reading the stories off and on, in between novels. Almost against my will, I got lost in most of them. The problem with the short story being 鈥� it鈥檚 over too soon! But, I know from his novel that the whole(s) may not be as delicious as the tastes 鈥� and therefore, I am sated.
I read 鈥淭he Girl in the Glass,鈥� a novel by Ford, several months ago. It was good, but not blow-your-mind. So, I had taken his other books off my wishlist. However, someone had already picked up a copy of 鈥淓mpire of Ice Cream,鈥� a collection of his short stories, and I was gifted it shortly thereafter.
And really? Ford is definitely in his element with the short story.
Carroll鈥檚 intro explains it best: 鈥淥ne of the mot terrible losses man endures in his lifetime is not even noticed by most people, much less mourned. 鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 talking about the sense of wonder that is such an integral part of the world when we are children. 鈥�
鈥淎s adults we are not supposed to say or feel Wow, or wonder, of even true surprise because those things make us sound goofy, ingenuous, and childlike.
鈥淲hen I sat down to read Jeffrey Ford鈥檚 鈥楨mpire of Ice Cream,鈥� I knew only one thing: that for the next few hundred pages my mind would be swinging from a trapeze high above the ground with no net below.鈥�
This really encapsulates the essence of these stories, I think. One of the quirky aspects of my personality is that I do strive to see the awe in every day; to recapture that essence of wonder in the world around me. And in this collection, Ford really pushes the boundaries of imagination 鈥� usually without going so far as to find me running away screaming (pure sci fi and fantasy are not pushing boundaries to me; they go beyond the boundaries and try to create something wholly new 鈥� and I can never feel a sense of reality from them). He takes you from a vivid, ripe description of your world, to an altered, blurry version, recrisp-ed and possible.
I鈥檝e been reading the stories off and on, in between novels. Almost against my will, I got lost in most of them. The problem with the short story being 鈥� it鈥檚 over too soon! But, I know from his novel that the whole(s) may not be as delicious as the tastes 鈥� and therefore, I am sated.
August 29, 2024
丕夭 亘賴鬲乇蹖賳 賲噩賲賵毓賴 丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏й屰� 亘賵丿 讴賴 禺賵賳丿賲. 丨賯蹖賯鬲丕 禺賵卮丨丕賱賲 亘丿賵賳 禺賵賳丿賳 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 賳賲乇丿賲.
January 19, 2013
This is my first real encounter with Jeffrey Ford. I wound up picking up the book because of the title. Overall I'm finding his writing to be dense and a lot of exposition, which makes my eyes tire quicker. Slower going with his collection than with some I'm reading.
The Annals of Eelin-Ok--Perhaps my favorite whimsical offering so far. A creative and charming look into the life of an imaginary creature that Ford manages to conjure up clearly enough to feel real.
Jupiter's Skull--mostly felt this was a bizarre mind trip. Didn't quite work for me as a story.
A Night in the Tropics--It's a little freaky when you realize the author grew up right around your childhood stomping grounds. Ford references a whole bunch of places on Long Island that just kind of left me blinking--I'm used to seeing NYC brought into stories, but having something so specifically familiar written into this little story made it rather surreal. Good, but surreal.
The Empire of Ice Cream--The title story for this collection, it is also a magnificent one that immediately caught and held me. I must note that Ford's notes on his stories, their origins, his view of them and the awards they've won come after each story, which is actually a nice way of doing so. The reader isn't warned what to expect ahead of time, but given the information after they've discovered each story for themselves.
The Beautiful Galreesh--Bizarre, dark and oddly fascinating. ^_^
Boatman's Holiday--Loved this one--great ending!
Botch Town--Another one set in West Islip area. Unfortunately this one was a little too "boy's trip down memory lane." It went on too long and rambled a bit too much, though it was interesting and still very strong writing, just not one for me.
Man of Light--I started seeing where this one was going pretty quick, a dark little story.
The Green Word--elegant fantasy story--possibly one of the most straightforward tales in the entire book.
Giant Land--could not really get into this one near so much. Perhaps in another time and place it would appeal more.
Coffins on the River--not my thing
Summer Afternoon--poetic and intriguing. I liked this one without a completely clear understanding of why I liked it.
The Weight of Words--A reflection on character and the power of words and the meaning of them . . . interesting story.
The Trentino Kid--sort of ghost story I guess. Good conclusion to this collection.
Overall, I'm happy I read this. There were pieces less interesting and less suited to me, but the stuff I liked, some of it was quite astounding and has me wanting to stuff it under my husband's nose until he reads the stories so we can discuss them. It's my first discovery of Jeffrey Ford, but I'll be happy to come across him again.
The Annals of Eelin-Ok--Perhaps my favorite whimsical offering so far. A creative and charming look into the life of an imaginary creature that Ford manages to conjure up clearly enough to feel real.
Jupiter's Skull--mostly felt this was a bizarre mind trip. Didn't quite work for me as a story.
A Night in the Tropics--It's a little freaky when you realize the author grew up right around your childhood stomping grounds. Ford references a whole bunch of places on Long Island that just kind of left me blinking--I'm used to seeing NYC brought into stories, but having something so specifically familiar written into this little story made it rather surreal. Good, but surreal.
The Empire of Ice Cream--The title story for this collection, it is also a magnificent one that immediately caught and held me. I must note that Ford's notes on his stories, their origins, his view of them and the awards they've won come after each story, which is actually a nice way of doing so. The reader isn't warned what to expect ahead of time, but given the information after they've discovered each story for themselves.
The Beautiful Galreesh--Bizarre, dark and oddly fascinating. ^_^
Boatman's Holiday--Loved this one--great ending!
Botch Town--Another one set in West Islip area. Unfortunately this one was a little too "boy's trip down memory lane." It went on too long and rambled a bit too much, though it was interesting and still very strong writing, just not one for me.
Man of Light--I started seeing where this one was going pretty quick, a dark little story.
The Green Word--elegant fantasy story--possibly one of the most straightforward tales in the entire book.
Giant Land--could not really get into this one near so much. Perhaps in another time and place it would appeal more.
Coffins on the River--not my thing
Summer Afternoon--poetic and intriguing. I liked this one without a completely clear understanding of why I liked it.
The Weight of Words--A reflection on character and the power of words and the meaning of them . . . interesting story.
The Trentino Kid--sort of ghost story I guess. Good conclusion to this collection.
Overall, I'm happy I read this. There were pieces less interesting and less suited to me, but the stuff I liked, some of it was quite astounding and has me wanting to stuff it under my husband's nose until he reads the stories so we can discuss them. It's my first discovery of Jeffrey Ford, but I'll be happy to come across him again.
January 23, 2011
Another marvelous collection of stories from multiple award-winning Ford, The Empire of Ice Cream assembles 14 tales published between 2002 and 2006. Central to it is the novella "Botch Town," which became the basis of the novel The Shadow Year--winner of the 2008 Shirley Jackson Award. My favorite stories in the collection were the title piece, "Boatman's Holiday," "A Man of Light," and "The Weight of Words." While I'm not quite as enamored of the more hallucinatory tales ("The Beautiful Gelreesh," "Giant Land"), the book is a tremendously entertaining read overall and a great showcase for Ford's versatility and inventiveness.
August 21, 2022
袣薪懈谐邪 - 褌械, 褖芯 褌褉械斜邪. 袨褋芯斜谢懈胁芯 写谢褟 谢褞斜懈褌械谢褨胁 卸邪薪褉褍, 邪写卸械 胁芯薪邪 屑邪谢邪 锌褉械屑褨褞 芦袧械斜鈥樠幮恍奥�.
袦懈谢邪 褎邪薪褌邪褋褌懈褔薪邪 芯锌芯胁褨写褜, 写械 褍褟胁邪 屑械卸褍褦 蟹 褉械邪谢褜薪褨褋褌褞, 写械 谢褞斜芯胁 蟹鈥樠斝葱窖冄� 褋胁褨褌懈, 褨 薪械胁褨写芯屑芯 褖械 - 褔懈 褦 褍 薪邪褋 褨谢褞蟹褨褩 褔懈 屑懈 褋邪屑褨 褔懈褟褋褜 褨谢褞蟹褨褟.
校 褑褜芯屑褍 褌胁芯褉褨 蟹邪褔邪褉芯胁褍褦褕褋褟 褏懈屑械褉邪屑懈 谢褞写褋褜泻芯褩 锌褋懈褏褨泻懈, 谐邪褉薪芯褞 锌芯写邪褔械褞 褑褨泻邪胁懈褏 锌褋懈褏芯谢芯谐褨褔薪懈褏 褎械薪芯屑械薪褨胁.
袘械蟹锌械褉械褔薪芯 褏芯褔械褌褜褋褟 锌褉芯写芯胁卸懈褌懈 蟹薪邪泄芯屑褋褌胁芯 蟹 褌胁芯褉褔褨褋褌褞 邪胁褌芯褉邪.
袦懈谢邪 褎邪薪褌邪褋褌懈褔薪邪 芯锌芯胁褨写褜, 写械 褍褟胁邪 屑械卸褍褦 蟹 褉械邪谢褜薪褨褋褌褞, 写械 谢褞斜芯胁 蟹鈥樠斝葱窖冄� 褋胁褨褌懈, 褨 薪械胁褨写芯屑芯 褖械 - 褔懈 褦 褍 薪邪褋 褨谢褞蟹褨褩 褔懈 屑懈 褋邪屑褨 褔懈褟褋褜 褨谢褞蟹褨褟.
校 褑褜芯屑褍 褌胁芯褉褨 蟹邪褔邪褉芯胁褍褦褕褋褟 褏懈屑械褉邪屑懈 谢褞写褋褜泻芯褩 锌褋懈褏褨泻懈, 谐邪褉薪芯褞 锌芯写邪褔械褞 褑褨泻邪胁懈褏 锌褋懈褏芯谢芯谐褨褔薪懈褏 褎械薪芯屑械薪褨胁.
袘械蟹锌械褉械褔薪芯 褏芯褔械褌褜褋褟 锌褉芯写芯胁卸懈褌懈 蟹薪邪泄芯屑褋褌胁芯 蟹 褌胁芯褉褔褨褋褌褞 邪胁褌芯褉邪.
August 21, 2017
Przeczyta艂am tylko opowiadanie tytu艂owe, poniewa偶 jest dost臋pne online. Nie ma go natomiast osobno w katalogu 欧宝娱乐, wi臋c dokonam nadu偶ycia i zaznacz臋 ca艂膮 ksi膮偶k臋. Najwy偶ej potem zrobi臋 re-read.
"The Empire of Ice Cream" opowiada o ch艂opcu z synestezj膮 i jego problemach wynikaj膮cych z braku zrozumienia ze strony otoczenia, g艂贸wnie o jego samotno艣ci. Gdzie艣 po drodze odkrywa, 偶e smak lod贸w kawowych pozwala mu do艣wiadcza膰 innego rodzaju wizji - zamiast abstrakcyjnych powi膮za艅 pomi臋dzy zmys艂ami, widzi dziewczyn臋. Smak lod贸w staje si臋 sposobem na podgl膮danie czyjego艣 偶ycia. Opowiadanie bawi si臋 w niedopowiedzenia, pozostawiaj膮c d艂ugo kwesti膮 otwart膮, czy s膮 to majaki to te偶 jaki艣 spos贸b na przekraczanie granic rzeczywisto艣ci.
Opowiadanie przypomina "Problem z Cassandr膮" Gaimana, id膮c tym samem tropem: obiekt majak贸w my艣li, 偶e jest tym, kt贸remu si臋 majaczy. Zaczynam podejrzewa膰, 偶e to symptomatyczne, bior膮c pod uwag臋, 偶e za ka偶dym razem jest to ten sam schemat: ch艂opak wymy艣la dziewczyn臋 i nie wie, 偶e ona wymy艣li艂a jego. Czy to jaki艣 revers sexism fantazja odno艣nie zmienienia roli podmiotu i przedmiotu w relacji heteronormatywnej birnarnej seksualno艣ci? Czy to ma by膰 pr贸ba (nieudana) dekonstrukcji tropu manic pixie dream girl? Jaka艣 sp艂aszczona przez nadu偶ycie ironia? Serio, jestem w kropce, sk膮d to si臋 wzi臋艂o i czemu jest takie no艣nie.
"The Empire of Ice Cream" opowiada o ch艂opcu z synestezj膮 i jego problemach wynikaj膮cych z braku zrozumienia ze strony otoczenia, g艂贸wnie o jego samotno艣ci. Gdzie艣 po drodze odkrywa, 偶e smak lod贸w kawowych pozwala mu do艣wiadcza膰 innego rodzaju wizji - zamiast abstrakcyjnych powi膮za艅 pomi臋dzy zmys艂ami, widzi dziewczyn臋. Smak lod贸w staje si臋 sposobem na podgl膮danie czyjego艣 偶ycia. Opowiadanie bawi si臋 w niedopowiedzenia, pozostawiaj膮c d艂ugo kwesti膮 otwart膮, czy s膮 to majaki to te偶 jaki艣 spos贸b na przekraczanie granic rzeczywisto艣ci.
Opowiadanie przypomina "Problem z Cassandr膮" Gaimana, id膮c tym samem tropem: obiekt majak贸w my艣li, 偶e jest tym, kt贸remu si臋 majaczy. Zaczynam podejrzewa膰, 偶e to symptomatyczne, bior膮c pod uwag臋, 偶e za ka偶dym razem jest to ten sam schemat: ch艂opak wymy艣la dziewczyn臋 i nie wie, 偶e ona wymy艣li艂a jego. Czy to jaki艣 revers sexism fantazja odno艣nie zmienienia roli podmiotu i przedmiotu w relacji heteronormatywnej birnarnej seksualno艣ci? Czy to ma by膰 pr贸ba (nieudana) dekonstrukcji tropu manic pixie dream girl? Jaka艣 sp艂aszczona przez nadu偶ycie ironia? Serio, jestem w kropce, sk膮d to si臋 wzi臋艂o i czemu jest takie no艣nie.
May 5, 2014
It takes me much longer to finish short story compilations than it does to finish regular novels. I suspect that the reason for this is that I like having time to absorb and think over a story after I've finished it. While this took me longer than other books that I was reading alongside it to finish, I really loved it.
This is my introduction to Jeffrey Ford's work, and I cannot wait to read some of his other stories. Right when I thought that I had found my favorite story, I would read another that would equal or surpass it.
I love good fantasy, and this book was a dream to read. Stories were beautifully written, haunting, downright scary sometimes. The fact that Ford and I have so much in common and that he wrote about areas that I recognized and have lived in made it even better.
This is my introduction to Jeffrey Ford's work, and I cannot wait to read some of his other stories. Right when I thought that I had found my favorite story, I would read another that would equal or surpass it.
I love good fantasy, and this book was a dream to read. Stories were beautifully written, haunting, downright scary sometimes. The fact that Ford and I have so much in common and that he wrote about areas that I recognized and have lived in made it even better.
October 29, 2014
I enjoyed this book. Very imaginative, very different, but after a while the author's writing style became a little repetitive (he recycles story structure). Highlights include "The Annals of Eilin-Oik," "Boatman's Holiday," "The Beautiful Gelreesh," and of course "The Empire of Ice Cream."
The "Empire of Ice Cream" was one of the most intriguing short stories I've read in a long while.
The "Empire of Ice Cream" was one of the most intriguing short stories I've read in a long while.
Want to read
November 24, 2018A well-regarded collection. I've read and liked the title story, which is "about a man, a composer, with synesthesia. Coffee ice cream causes him to conjure a young woman who is also an artist and a synesthesiac. The story comes to a predictable but still quite satisfying and moving conclusion." I'm cribbing the description from Rich Horton, whose review is the one to read:
Better still, the collection is all of $2 at Amazon!
Better still, the collection is all of $2 at Amazon!
August 16, 2019
Not as strong as his other collections but the title story, boatmans holiday, a man of light and a night at the tropics were all very good. Botch town is the original version of the shadow year.
May 29, 2023
More like 3.5, and I might someday raise that to 4. Very good stories, with the first, "The Annals of Eelin-Ok," particularly standing out on my first pass through the book. (I'm sure I'll be coming back to it.)
Coming back to this years later and reading more closely, this collection starts very strong, with the first six stories pushing the book to four stars just on their own. The final story is quite good too.
The turning point comes with "Botch Town," in which Ford has a go at a Bradbury/Stephen King-ish look back at his reimagined childhood. The story is fine as it goes along, but it's the first in the collection to really fail to bring everything together in the end (and to have a climactic scene that feels very cliched, in a way that a couple of the other stories threaten to have but then avoid). Because it's the longest piece in the collection by far, that ends up making the story feel like it long overstayed its welcome and comes as an especially unhappy surprise after the stories that came before it.
From there on the stories, unfortunately, are notably weaker, most of them starting with interesting premises but again failing to conclude in a way that makes them feel fully realized. I kept going, because by that point Ford had certainly earned the benefit of the doubt, and none were outright bad, though "Summer Afternoon" is a trifle and "Coffins on the River" is forgettable. But the rest are interesting and should count as "near misses" that only disappoint because the first six are so very, very good.
Coming back to this years later and reading more closely, this collection starts very strong, with the first six stories pushing the book to four stars just on their own. The final story is quite good too.
The turning point comes with "Botch Town," in which Ford has a go at a Bradbury/Stephen King-ish look back at his reimagined childhood. The story is fine as it goes along, but it's the first in the collection to really fail to bring everything together in the end (and to have a climactic scene that feels very cliched, in a way that a couple of the other stories threaten to have but then avoid). Because it's the longest piece in the collection by far, that ends up making the story feel like it long overstayed its welcome and comes as an especially unhappy surprise after the stories that came before it.
From there on the stories, unfortunately, are notably weaker, most of them starting with interesting premises but again failing to conclude in a way that makes them feel fully realized. I kept going, because by that point Ford had certainly earned the benefit of the doubt, and none were outright bad, though "Summer Afternoon" is a trifle and "Coffins on the River" is forgettable. But the rest are interesting and should count as "near misses" that only disappoint because the first six are so very, very good.
November 18, 2014
Uneven by comparison with Ford's sensational first collection, The Fantasy Writer's Assistant, The Empire of Ice Cream nevertheless contains more hits than misses.
The title story, Botch Town, and The Annals of Eelin-Ok all received awards, and deserved them.
The Trentino Kid, an uncharacteristic venture into traditional supernatural horror, is also splendidly effective; A Night in the Tropics dares to employ the hoary 'thief steals cursed object' plot premise, and gets away with it. In both of these stories Ford successfully frames an unremarkable idea with excellent characterization and strong evocation of place.
Less compelling are several stories which appear to be experiments in narrative construction, typically featuring plots that fold in on themselves in various ingenious ways. In A Man of Light, for example, an apparently 'real' protagonist proves to be a wholly 'unreal' figure drawn from a dream recounted by another character. In Jupiter's Skull the two main characters recall a story they had been told by a third, and more or less become the two main characters within that story. The pleasures here are purely cerebral. Ford's writing is always so vivid and involving that it is all the more disappointing when one realizes that a story's only payoff is abstract appreciation of its trickery.
The title story, Botch Town, and The Annals of Eelin-Ok all received awards, and deserved them.
The Trentino Kid, an uncharacteristic venture into traditional supernatural horror, is also splendidly effective; A Night in the Tropics dares to employ the hoary 'thief steals cursed object' plot premise, and gets away with it. In both of these stories Ford successfully frames an unremarkable idea with excellent characterization and strong evocation of place.
Less compelling are several stories which appear to be experiments in narrative construction, typically featuring plots that fold in on themselves in various ingenious ways. In A Man of Light, for example, an apparently 'real' protagonist proves to be a wholly 'unreal' figure drawn from a dream recounted by another character. In Jupiter's Skull the two main characters recall a story they had been told by a third, and more or less become the two main characters within that story. The pleasures here are purely cerebral. Ford's writing is always so vivid and involving that it is all the more disappointing when one realizes that a story's only payoff is abstract appreciation of its trickery.
August 29, 2013
I guess I'm givin' this one a 4.5 in reality. I can't give you anything concrete that I disliked or that threw me, and Ii did like this anthology a little more than his drowned life copulation. BUT and it's a medium Jennifer Lopez Butt, I didn't really click with some of the stories and found myself going back and forth between it and a novel I started.
Well after writing this I felt I was letting the book down somewhat. I went skimming back through the pages and found that on the whole I did enjoy Mr. Ford's work. Just sometimes, in a few of the stories he lost me. I felt I wasn't catching the underlying theme or discourse. Something just wouldn't stick to my brain when I read those. Others stood tall and proud in my imagination. I think 'The Annals of Eelin-Ok' will long rein in my mind for the beauty in both it's characters and it's setting. As well, 'The Trentino kid' was another good story.
All in all I would recommend this book to all fantasy readers Just because my head wasn't in the right space for some of the tales doesn't seem like a good reason to forsake a good writer's material.
Well after writing this I felt I was letting the book down somewhat. I went skimming back through the pages and found that on the whole I did enjoy Mr. Ford's work. Just sometimes, in a few of the stories he lost me. I felt I wasn't catching the underlying theme or discourse. Something just wouldn't stick to my brain when I read those. Others stood tall and proud in my imagination. I think 'The Annals of Eelin-Ok' will long rein in my mind for the beauty in both it's characters and it's setting. As well, 'The Trentino kid' was another good story.
All in all I would recommend this book to all fantasy readers Just because my head wasn't in the right space for some of the tales doesn't seem like a good reason to forsake a good writer's material.
March 13, 2007
For personal reasons, I found The Empire of Ice Cream to be a fascinating and haunting read, one of my favorite books of recent times. I don't know of any other fiction that deals so directly with synaesthesia, and if Ford doesn't have that condition himself, he sure knows how to write about it. The early parts of this book, in which the narrator carefully describes his condition, are gripping and bound to be intriguing to even those who don't have that bizarre neurological condition. Halfway through the book, the story veers into psychological science fiction territory, which is pretty neat, but in a novella of this length, I probably would have preferred either the neuro-psychological angle or the science fiction angle; the length of the book doesn't allow for enough fleshing out of both. Nevertheless, this is a very worthwhile read, especially for those who like starting out a book thinking it's about something, only to realize in the middle of the read that it's about something else entirely.
November 11, 2011
This is a beautifully written collection of a wide range of fantasy stories. A few of the stories take us to strange worlds inhabited by fascinating creatures. One of my favorites was "The Annals of Eelin-Ok," a tale about faries who live in sandcastles. Most of the stories, however, take our world and put a slight fantasy twist to it. The last story in the collection, "The Trentino Kid," shows us a blue collar world of clamming, hard work, a struggle to find meaning in life.
What made this such a fun read was Ford's prodigious skills. His prose is beautiful and his stories nicely crafted. His stories are straight forward, following clear plotlines. However, he always seemed to be thinking a step or two ahead of me, throwing in some twists and turns just when I thought I had everything figured out.
What made this such a fun read was Ford's prodigious skills. His prose is beautiful and his stories nicely crafted. His stories are straight forward, following clear plotlines. However, he always seemed to be thinking a step or two ahead of me, throwing in some twists and turns just when I thought I had everything figured out.
January 27, 2016
泻芯褉芯褌泻邪 锌褉芯蟹邪. 褑褨泻邪胁邪 褉芯蟹锌芯胁褨写褜 锌褉芯 褏谢芯锌褔懈泻邪 褟泻懈泄 "褋褌褉邪卸写邪褦" 薪邪 褋懈薪械褋褌械蟹褨褞. 褨 蟹 褌邪泻芯褞 "褏胁芯褉芯斜芯褞" 薪褨泻芯谢懈 薪械 屑芯卸械褕 斜褍褌懈 胁锌械胁薪械薪懈屑, 写械 胁褨写褔褍褌褌褟 褋锌褉邪胁卸薪褨, 邪 写械 褌褨谢褜泻懈 胁 薪邪褋谢褨写芯泻 褋懈薪械褋褌械蟹褨褩. 蟹邪 褌邪泻懈褏 芯斜褋褌邪胁懈薪 锌芯褔懈薪邪褦褕 褋褍屑薪褨胁邪褌懈褋褟 薪械 褌褨谢褜泻懈 胁 褋锌褉邪胁卸薪芯褋褌褨 褌芯谐芯, 褖芯 斜邪褔懈褕-褔褍褦褕-胁褨写褔褍胁邪褦褕, 邪 薪邪胁褨褌褜 褨 褍 胁谢邪褋薪褨泄 褋锌褉邪胁卸薪芯褋褌褨 薪械 屑芯卸械褕 斜褍褌懈 写芯 泻褨薪褑褟 胁锌械胁薪械薪懈屑.
胁褨写泻褉懈谢邪 写谢褟 褋械斜械 薪芯胁芯谐芯 邪胁褌芯褉邪, 褕泻芯写邪, 褖芯 褌褨谢褜泻懈 褑械 芯写薪械 芯锌芯胁褨写邪薪薪褟褔泻芯 蟹薪邪泄褕谢邪 胁 褍泻褉锌械褉械泻谢邪写褨. 泻芯屑褍 褑褨泻邪胁芯 - 褑褨谢泻芯屑 蟹邪泻芯薪薪芯 锌芯褔懈褌邪褌懈 屑芯卸薪邪 褌褍褌
胁褨写泻褉懈谢邪 写谢褟 褋械斜械 薪芯胁芯谐芯 邪胁褌芯褉邪, 褕泻芯写邪, 褖芯 褌褨谢褜泻懈 褑械 芯写薪械 芯锌芯胁褨写邪薪薪褟褔泻芯 蟹薪邪泄褕谢邪 胁 褍泻褉锌械褉械泻谢邪写褨. 泻芯屑褍 褑褨泻邪胁芯 - 褑褨谢泻芯屑 蟹邪泻芯薪薪芯 锌芯褔懈褌邪褌懈 屑芯卸薪邪 褌褍褌
July 8, 2015
The Empire of Ice Cream es uno de mis cuentos favoritos, as铆 que por eso el libro vale la pena, pero el resto de los cuentos son buenos. En algunos las cosas parecen no tener mucho sentido en partes, pero eso viene con el estilo de Jeffrey Ford: lleno de imaginaci贸n, fuerte impacto sentimental y descripciones v铆vidas pero con un toque surreal que confunde a ratos.
January 6, 2016
A much more solid short story collection by Ford than the Drown Life, in my opinion.
The Annals of Elin-Ok***
Jupiter's skull ***
A night in the tropics ***
The Empire of ice cream
The Beautiful Gelreesh ***
Botch Town ** (I didn't finish it as it was too rambling nd episodic, it could be that it coheres at the end, but I don't have that much patience)
The Annals of Elin-Ok***
Jupiter's skull ***
A night in the tropics ***
The Empire of ice cream
The Beautiful Gelreesh ***
Botch Town ** (I didn't finish it as it was too rambling nd episodic, it could be that it coheres at the end, but I don't have that much patience)
November 30, 2017
Another fantastic collection by Jeffrey Ford. The title story, about synesthesia, is phenomenal. I preferred the stories with mythic themes, such as "Boatman's Holiday" and "The Green Word," but the writing style and surreal twists make each story powerful in its own way.
January 23, 2008
Pretty great collection of short stories. The title story and The Annals of Eelin-Ok are particularly good.
January 17, 2009
This is a fantasy/slipstream short story collection. Some great stories in this one, but not all of the resonated with me. I have a further review on the Electric Spec blog.
May 2, 2014
no se puede comparar a jeffrey ford con los demas. esta en su propia categoria.
May 19, 2018
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This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2016
A good anthology. Some gems, some average & some clinkers.
September 11, 2016
I really love Jeffrey Ford's short stories. Definitely a writer who takes random turns to get to an unexpected ending
February 2, 2017
4.5 stars
A brilliant collection. My standouts: "The Empire of Ice Cream" and "The Weight of Words".
A brilliant collection. My standouts: "The Empire of Ice Cream" and "The Weight of Words".
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