420 Characters by Lou Beach

***WARNING! THIS POST CONTAINS LANGUAGE WHICH MAY BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN.****

 

  This is one awesome book. It is a collection of short stories which are actually Facebook status updates. According to the author’s note, each entry is limited to 420 characters, including letters, spaces, and punctuation.

I know, you’re thinking that this must be really boring but it’s not.

Unlike this blog, each story\update is quite descriptive and entertaining. Some are serious, some are funny, and to be honest, I just didn’t get a few of them. But don’t let that stop you from reading it.

Here is one of my favorites which can be found on page 17:

“ARE YOU MY MOMMY?” said the little blue egg. “No, dear. You are a plastic trinket full of sweets,” said the brown hen. “My baby is over there,” and she pointed to a pink marshmallow chick being torn apart and devoured by a toddler. The hen screamed and woke up, her pillow wet with sweat, the sheets twisted around her legs. “Christ, I hate that dream.” She reached for a smoke.

I thought about trying to write this post in 420 characters but I’m not that good and I don’t think I could do the book justice in a review that short.

I checked this out from the library but it may end up on my “to buy” list for Christmas since I have some friends who would really enjoy it. You’ve been warned. I would recommend you pick up a copy from your local bookseller or at Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/420-Characters-Lou-Beach/dp/0547617933/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328943464&sr=8-1).

Ok, here’s one more from page 124:

She sat on the porch in the old rocker, back and forth, back and forth, tried to puzzle out her feelings. The paperboy hit her in the knee with the Times. She kept on rocking. Kids ran by, the UPS truck rumbled past, a dog shat on her lawn. She just kept rocking, thinking. The sun went down, cars pulled into driveways. Her husband climbed the steps. “Hi, hon.” He put down his briefcase. “Fuck you, Larry!” she said.

After cleaning up the drink I spewed all over the place, all I could think of were the immortal words of Seinfeld’s Kenny Bania:

“That's gold Jerry! GOLD!”

 

 

 

 

While writing this I was listening to "D.A.N.C.E." from "D.A.N.C.E. - Single of the Week" by "Justice"