1. The title of this book puzzled me until I got into it. Everybody here is an in-betweener. (so now you can rest easy I’ve sorted that out for you).
2. Simmons has a great ear for natural speech. Envious over here.
3. These stories are a bit off-kilter but not so zany as to be unreal, the characters are living in our world, a tightrope walk for a writer, and one he pulls off with panache. I like that.
4. I found myself laughing out loud a few times. I can’t tell you how rare that happens. Double points for turning on a dime and infusing the piece with gravitas.
5. I dreamed Jenny was an infinite plane and I was pedaling her length northward alone on the second seat of a bicycle built for two (pg. 118).
6. Don’t take it from me…Take Danzig’s word for it.
7. How was it possible that people so completely divorced from reality had so much money? What kind of a system had we developed that allowed the semi-eccentric to the batshit insane to thrive like this? Capitalism is a grade a mess, my friends (pg. 120).
8. Trust me…it’s related.
9. This book should really be featured in a writing 101 class. Simmons has managed to write these stories in an abundance of styles. Beginning writers take note.
10. Plots include: A guy who builds a mountain in his backyard; a someone who fishes for styles in open waters; a protagonist who would plan a trip to Mars but doesn’t want to leave his cat; a story where California falls into the ocean.
11. Since I know Matthew lives in Seattle imma have to suggest some Pad Thai.
12. Matt has written a couple of other books. Here is an interview with him talking about Happy Rock.

12.5 Buy