Love Will Make You Drink and Gamble, Stay Out Late at Night is a book of short stories. Each of the stories is about relationships. They tell about the mistakes made, words misunderstood, and the resulting misadventures had. All of the stories revolve around life in Santa Barbara.
This book has twelve short stories. One of the stories I really liked. Another one had a great beginning, but the ending was rather ho-hum, and I don’t feel that it lived up to the promise of the first sentence.
“Absent Friends” is a touching, romantic tale. This story was deep, it was awesome, and it made me say, “Wow.” Definitely worth reading.
“The Man Within” is the story of a woman who lives in a small apartment on the property of her son and his wife. This is the story of how she chooses to let her son she wants to be her own person. I guess you could say this her fight for freedom from living the way he expects her to live. Anyway, this is a good story with a great ending.
“Death Watches” has an awesome first sentence – Richard Martin’s death took place on a weekend where there was no climatic disaster or impending military clash anywhere in the world. Why do I like that sentence so much? It held the promise of a fantastic story and made me want to read the rest of it. The ending disappointed me as it did not live up to my expectations.
The other nine stories? The author is a talented writer, and they are written very well. Literary fiction is not my cup of tea. The beginnings of most of them left me confused, and the endings were very lifelike, so much so that they were almost depressing. I read to escape reality and was not really able to do it by reading his stories.
But if you are a fan of literary fiction, then you should love each story he has written.
Favorite Sentences:
“She gave it to you because once a university starts something, you need an act of God to change it.”
“Grim is when they don’t leave tips for the service, they leave tips out of sympathy.”
He often feared in secret that the standards to which he held himself were suffering from anemia.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you would like to purchase your own copy, I have provided Amazon and Smashwords links below.
Amazon Link: Love Will Make You Drink and Gamble, Stay Out Late at Night
Smashwords Link: Love Will Make You Drink and Gamble, Stay Out Late at Night
Recommended Articles:
Shelly Lowenkopf Interview – Vocabulary, Inspiration, and Advice for Writers
Literary Fiction – What is it Really – Guest Post by Christopher Meeks
New Words Learned:
Shelly Lowenkopf has an extensive vocabulary as you can see from all the words I had to stop and look up. I hope that my list of words I learned and their definitions will help you out when you read this book.
amortize – to liquidate or extinguish (a mortgage, debt, or other obligation), especially by periodic payments to the creditor
anomie – a state or condition of individuals or society characterized by a breakdown or absence of social norms and values, as in the case of uprooted people.
bezel – a grooved ring or rim holding a gem, watch crystal, etc., in its setting
bildungsroman – a type of novel concerned with the education, development, and maturing of a young protagonist.
cruller – a rich, light cake cut from a rolled dough and deep-fried, usually having a twisted oblong shape and sometimes topped with sugar or icing
curlew – any of several shorebirds of the genus Numenius, having a long, slender, downcurved bill
epistemology – a branch of philosophy that investigates the origin, nature, methods, and limits of human knowledge
escarpment – a steep artificial slope immediately in front of the rampart of a fortified place
exegesis – critical explanation or interpretation of a text or portion of a text, especially of the Bible
fulsome – offensive to good taste, especially as being excessive; overdone or gross:
galvanic – startling, shocking
godwits – any of several large, widely distributed shorebirds of the genus Limosa, as the New World L. haemastica (Hudsonian godwit) having a long bill that curves upward slightly
hair shirt – self-imposed punishment, suffering, sacrifice, or penance.
hegira – any flight or journey to a more desirable or congenial place
hypertrophy – abnormal enlargement of a part or organ; excessive growth
inchoate – undeveloped; immature; rudimentary
incipient – just starting to be or happen
insouciance – lack of care or concern; indifference
Kierkegaardian – Of, pertaining to, or resembling the philosophy or religious views of Kierkegaard, who was a Danish philosopher and theologian. He rejected organized Christianity and anticipated the existentialists in emphasizing man’s moral responsibility and freedom of choice.
lugubrious – mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially in an affected, exaggerated, or unrelieved manner:
Maginot Line – any elaborate line of defense or set of barriers
nadir – the lowest point
notional – not real or actual; ideal or imaginary
osso buco – sliced veal knuckle or shin bone cooked with olive oil and wine and tomatoes and served with rice or vegetables
penumbra – a shadowy, indefinite, or marginal area
prescient – knowledge of events before they take place; foreknowledge
promissory – in insurance, of or noting agreements or representations stipulating what is required to take place after the issuance of a policy.
provender – food; provisions.
prurience – lascivious or lustful thoughts or desires
About the Author:
Shelly Lowenkopf taught in the University of Southern California’s Master of Professional Writing Program for 34 years, has taught at the annual Santa Barbara Writer’s Conference since 1980, and has been guest lecturer in many schools and conferences.
He is currently Visiting Professor at the College of Creative Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara, with classes in noir fiction, the modern short story, genre fiction, and developing a literary voice. Mr. Lowenkopf has served as editorial director for literary, general trade, mass market, and scholarly book publishers, seeing over 500 books through the editorial and production process. His own short fiction has appeared widely in the literary press. He is author of the popular The Fiction Writer’s Handbook.
Website: http://www.lowenkopf.com/
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