11 Stories

I received this book for free from a First Reads giveaway in exchange for an honest review My apologies to author Chris Cander I received this book from a giveaway two years ago and it has been sitting in my To Be Read stack ever since When it arrived back then, something about it just didn t appeal to me and I let it languish What a mistake 11 Stories is a beautifully written account of a Chicago apartment building superintendent, Roscoe Jones, and his relationships with the varied and colorful [...]

Chris Cander s 11Stories is a well written novel that tackles the idea of someone s life flashing before their eyes right before their death in a unique way I thoroughly enjoyed the passages in which Ms Cander described the passion Roscoe felt for his trumpet and the music he produced Being a musician myself, I related to his devotion to his old Blessing trumpet Your instrument becomes than an object becomes a part of your family and earns love, respect, and loyalty from you, and you feel honor [...]

A gorgeous book of stories, as I like to call this novel Unlike actual books of stories, these stories pack a punch One issue I normally have with short fiction is that the shorts never go too deep, I never get to know the characters, the plot often is called to carry the day but it is rarely interesting Not the case with this book of vignettes that occur out of the mind of a single lead character The pacing is strategic, I never felt the book in any way drag, and the chapters move naturally fro [...]

I had a personal reason to want to like this book, but by the time I finished, it stood on it s own merits It s a smart book with substance and soul and characters I cared about I loved the creativity of it s construction I look forward to Ms Cander s future works because I believe she lives with far than just 11 stories inside her.

I received this book for free from a giveaway in exchange for an honest review This book was a series of short stories tied together by the superintendent of an apartment building It was a fast and easy read and the author told each story with so much care that I became attached to the different characters And I teared up at the end A very moving book.

I received this book through a giveaway I read the whole thing in a day It s a really cool concept for a book Despite the short length, there s a great deal of emotion which causes you to really empathize with a man plummeting to his death.

Review to follow.

Unique storyline, beautiful writing, thought provoking Highly recommend this book from Houston author, Chris Cander.

A brilliant but sad story The ending to the story was quite emotional I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a touching and somber read.

I enjoyed this book though it helped that I met the author at our book club I found the writing a bit stilted though the story was very good.

This short novel is a gem It is about a 9 fingered man who has lived in the same 11 story Chicago apartment building all his life Roscoe Jones is the super He learned how to be invisible to the tenants, something his then super father taught him at an early age Here s the thing Roscoe might have been a top notch jazz trumpeter He was something of a child prodigy on his horn But now he plays alone in his basement room or rarely in his old age on the building s rooftop SPOILER ALERT of sorts this [...]

I used to live in a high rise building in NYC and love the idea of getting a glimpse into each of the residents lives The characters in each of the short stories were captivating Their varied and interesting lives, each one intersecting with Roscoe s life in a unique way, were fascinating to read about Roscoe s story of loss is than just about losing his finger He gains and loses parts of himself as he develops relationships with the buildings tenants And the end of the story really leaves you [...]

Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW Her conclusion provides grounds for belief in the possibility of redemption her sensitivity ensures that this novel will appeal to anyone with a story to tell, a group that includes us all publishersweekly 978 0Kirkus Reviews A wonderfully clever compilation kirkusreviews book reKIRKUS REVIEWS named 11 STORIES one of the Best Indie General Fiction books of 2013kirkusreviews lists b

I won a copy of Chris Cander s book 11 Stories from a giveaway I enjoyed reading 11 Stories and thought the concept was very creative I don t want to give away the story So, I wont say very much But, the supporting characters were interesting and the main character Roscoe Jones makes you care what happens to him The story has woven layers that work well together to take you on a journey with him 11 Stories takes a unique approach to a man s life flashing before his eyes Definitely a good read.

This story is beautifully crafted, and intricately woven It explores the lives of the people of an apartment building all 11 Stories of it, through the eyes of the man who kept it running smoothly for most of his life Life, love, hate, happiness, redemption, disappointment and fulfillment with the strains of music of the lives intertwined Chris Cander s writing is magical Avoiding spoilers, so keeping this circumspect, but I completely fell for this book

11 Stories is a beautifully written tale about a quiet, dignified building superintendent and how he impacted and was impacted by the tenants of his building throughout his life I love Chris Cander s gift for thoroughly developing characters in just a few pages She leaves you thinking about the fate of each character long after you have finished the book.

I really enjoyed the vignettes of all the lives of those living in an apartment complex, and how their lives intertwined with the super A quick, poignant read that makes you reflect about your own life.

I loved the poignant narratives of the characters, the theme of real life being hidden beneath the surface Seeing it all from the narrator Roscoe s point of view and learning about his life and how he experiences the world was beautiful.

I enjoyed how this novel was set up, as a series of short stories within the novel There was one chapter 4, I think that seemed not to fit, as it hardly had any room for the main character, Roscoe All others are told from Roscoe s perspective I look forward to from this author.

Lovely book that intertwined a deeply thoughtful building superintendent in the lives of his tenants There is something for everyone in this book a favorite of my book club

Engaging story Makes you want to hear about the protagonist and his relationships with the other tenants in the building.

Interesting concept 11 short stories that leave you wanting character development Quick read.

It was if Chris wrote several short stories about each of the tenants that lived in Rosco s building Entertaining to get know the different people.

This is a unique way to tie character stories together I was intrigued the entire time I was also scared to read the end Wonderful.

I read it in one sitting and thought it was well written.

As a dignified man falls to his death, author Chris Cander renders a brilliantly bittersweet meditation on opportunities found and missed in one person s almost too quiet life.