Uncommon Type
By Tom Hanks
- Release Date: 2017-10-17
- Genre: Short Stories
Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR, USA Today • A collection of “first-rate” short stories (The New York Times) that explore—with great affection, humor, and insight—the human condition in all its foibles.
A small-town newspaper columnist with old-fashioned views of the modern world. A World War II veteran grappling with his emotional and physical scars. A second-rate actor plunged into sudden stardom and a whirlwind press junket. Four friends traveling to the moon in a rocketship built in the backyard. These are just some of the stories that Tom Hanks captures in his first work of fiction.
The stories are linked by one thing: in each of them, a typewriter plays a part, sometimes minor, sometimes central.
To many, typewriters represent a level of craftsmanship, beauty, and individuality that is harder and harder to find in the modern world. In these stories, Hanks gracefully reaches that typewriter-worthy level. By turns whimsical, witty, and moving, Uncommon Type establishes him as a welcome and wonderful new voice in contemporary fiction.
Reviews
Loooovvvvvved it
5By cmorse5Instantly drew me in. I love this book and I’m excited for future worksJust okay...
3By Jon-NCI wanted to love this book. Instead, I merely liked it. Even that was a stretch at times. It’s a collection of short fiction stories. Some are better than others. Some are really good. Others really not. In the end many of the stories felt like they were over just as they were getting interesting, which is sad as the ones that were getting interesting were getting very interesting. I enjoyed how Hanks tried to incorporate the typewriter, something he is famous for enjoying so much, into his stories, without overdoing it. Sure, at times it felt a little forced, but it was an interesting common thread spread throughout stories that don’t have any real commonality between them. If you’re a fan of Tom Hanks, you’ll want to pick this up. It shows his abilities are not limited to just acting. Which is enough. His writing style shows he is multi-talented and a decent writer, I just wish the stories didn’t feel cut off at the knees.Nothing Short of Perfection
5By Neko.KEach story takes a breath of fresh air and comes alive page after page. He has a way of story telling that is so sincere and admirable. I just finished, but will for sure read another 11 times. Or 12.Love this book!!!
5By @mopratt51 on TwitterThese stories are amazing and beautifully written! How can this man be so talented?! Some will put a smile on your face, some will make you life, and some will make you get in touch with your emotions. A must readIt grew on me but ultimately just ok.
3By Jgj2006Nothing wrong with these stories, but honestly I don’t think that they would have been published if they weren’t written by Tom Hanks. He has a nice sense of character development but ultimately an average collection of average short stories.
