Writing out of the Box Chicago Book Review
The Man Who Built Boxes by Frank Tavares
Frank Tavares, with his pleasant, matter-of-fact voice, told listeners of National Public Radio programs, “This is NPR,” for three decades. In his writing, a similar matter-of-fact voice comes through, in situations at times bleak and at others, darkly humorous.
Throughout Tavares’s collection of short stories, The Man Who Built Boxes, the reader will meet men and women who are grappling with their pasts. And sometimes, they learn the past will linger in unsettling ways.
“Despite his appropriate grieving at the funeral, Jimmy Mendoza had to admit he was glad the son of a bitch was dead,” begins “Why Jimmy Mendoza Hated the Late Tamale Jones.” Jimmy is a man seeking closure at Tamale’s closed-casket funeral, but even when he hears directly from the deceased, peace of mind is hard to find. The two men remain linked for decades to a crime, with one taunting the other as they appear to get away with it.
For Antonio Enzo Marino, three decades spent in Italy can’t completely wipe his past in Texas. He lives a quiet life in a village that is in the process of sliding downhill, literally. The reader meets Antonio when he awakens to find his garden storage shed has fallen over the edge of his yard. “He and his neighbors, few in number, clung to a fantasy that some miraculous force would shore up the perimeter of their village, would stop the inevitable. But he knew it wouldn’t happen. There was no miraculous force. There was no natural force. There was no man-made force. There was only the tick in time.” With a crumbling home in his future, Antonio makes a choice to return to the town—and the woman—he left behind as a young man.
Tavares, who studied at Wheaton College and Northern Illinois University, writes with clear details, opening the doors to the homes of people who may be coasting through their lives, treading water in unfulfilling jobs, marriages that have lost their romance, or family relationships that are stuck in unhealthy patterns.
Author Frank Tavares
Tavares’s characters are often rough around the edges, many who may feel boxed in by their life’s circumstances. There’s Sally, in “The Illustrated Sally,” a twenty-nine-year-old woman with giant chip on her shoulder and a body that serves as canvas to numerous tattoo artists. Each new tattoo stamps a reminder of someone who has wronged her, keeping the past from which she has fled ever present. John, in the title story, crafts wooden boxes of all shapes and sizes as a hobby—or obsession—as he grapples with rejection, loss, and a constant reminder of a sorrowful past over which he had no control.
Sometimes, those characters who have found satisfaction don’t really deserve it. Take the title character in “When Max Ryland Met the Devil.” Max is an arrogant, good-looking “alpha sales dog,” who finesses his way into bed with many of his female coworkers … until he meets someone who can take him down more than a few notches with devilish style.
There are a few stories where the characters actually lay the past to rest, even peacefully, and the reader sees a man who has moved forward, which offer a sweet balance to a rather salty cast that populates this book.
While not all the stories are equally satisfying, The Man Who Built Boxes is a meaty sampling of stories, filled with characters, some a little saltier than others.
—Reviewed by Paige Fumo Fox
The Man Who Built Boxes by Frank Tavares
Frank Tavares, with his pleasant, matter-of-fact voice, told listeners of National Public Radio programs, “This is NPR,” for three decades. In his writing, a similar matter-of-fact voice comes through, in situations at times bleak and at others, darkly humorous.
Throughout Tavares’s collection of short stories, The Man Who Built Boxes, the reader will meet men and women who are grappling with their pasts. And sometimes, they learn the past will linger in unsettling ways.
“Despite his appropriate grieving at the funeral, Jimmy Mendoza had to admit he was glad the son of a bitch was dead,” begins “Why Jimmy Mendoza Hated the Late Tamale Jones.” Jimmy is a man seeking closure at Tamale’s closed-casket funeral, but even when he hears directly from the deceased, peace of mind is hard to find. The two men remain linked for decades to a crime, with one taunting the other as they appear to get away with it.
For Antonio Enzo Marino, three decades spent in Italy can’t completely wipe his past in Texas. He lives a quiet life in a village that is in the process of sliding downhill, literally. The reader meets Antonio when he awakens to find his garden storage shed has fallen over the edge of his yard. “He and his neighbors, few in number, clung to a fantasy that some miraculous force would shore up the perimeter of their village, would stop the inevitable. But he knew it wouldn’t happen. There was no miraculous force. There was no natural force. There was no man-made force. There was only the tick in time.” With a crumbling home in his future, Antonio makes a choice to return to the town—and the woman—he left behind as a young man.
Tavares, who studied at Wheaton College and Northern Illinois University, writes with clear details, opening the doors to the homes of people who may be coasting through their lives, treading water in unfulfilling jobs, marriages that have lost their romance, or family relationships that are stuck in unhealthy patterns.
Author Frank Tavares
Tavares’s characters are often rough around the edges, many who may feel boxed in by their life’s circumstances. There’s Sally, in “The Illustrated Sally,” a twenty-nine-year-old woman with giant chip on her shoulder and a body that serves as canvas to numerous tattoo artists. Each new tattoo stamps a reminder of someone who has wronged her, keeping the past from which she has fled ever present. John, in the title story, crafts wooden boxes of all shapes and sizes as a hobby—or obsession—as he grapples with rejection, loss, and a constant reminder of a sorrowful past over which he had no control.
Sometimes, those characters who have found satisfaction don’t really deserve it. Take the title character in “When Max Ryland Met the Devil.” Max is an arrogant, good-looking “alpha sales dog,” who finesses his way into bed with many of his female coworkers … until he meets someone who can take him down more than a few notches with devilish style.
There are a few stories where the characters actually lay the past to rest, even peacefully, and the reader sees a man who has moved forward, which offer a sweet balance to a rather salty cast that populates this book.
While not all the stories are equally satisfying, The Man Who Built Boxes is a meaty sampling of stories, filled with characters, some a little saltier than others.
—Reviewed by Paige Fumo Fox
The Man Who Built Boxes is a book people are talking about. Now more than 100 reviews on Amazon. Here are a few of the latest:
- "A great collection of short fiction."
- "Magnetic and addictive."
- "I will look for other writings by this author in the future as I believe he is a clever writer and very creative."
- "Must read."
- "Just a bunch of really good short stories."
- "Each character is so well-described, it's as if you were in the room."
- "I love the psychological twists."
Great read!
"I rarely read short stories. This collection, however, grabbed my attention from the beginning and I read it in a day. Each story was unique and haunting, with characters, emotions, and plots filled with unanticipated twists and ironies."
Wonderful short stories!
"These are wonderful short stories: all different and surprising little gems! The only problem: you won't be able to stop reading and they’re done too soon!"
The Best Short Story, Ever
"The title story is perfect and one of the best short stories I have ever read. It is well worth the price of the book alone and shows how the rest of the selections are working toward this. Wow! This is a life changer."
Unpredictable twisted plots in series of short stories
"Interesting and unique characters fully developed and totally believable. This book is hard to put down once you start reading. Totally enchanted me."
Strange stories that left me wanting to have more
"I rarely give books a five star rating unless it is real literature. This is fine writing and intriguing stories. I will be looking for this author in the future. Please write more, Mr. Tavares!"
"I rarely read short stories. This collection, however, grabbed my attention from the beginning and I read it in a day. Each story was unique and haunting, with characters, emotions, and plots filled with unanticipated twists and ironies."
Wonderful short stories!
"These are wonderful short stories: all different and surprising little gems! The only problem: you won't be able to stop reading and they’re done too soon!"
The Best Short Story, Ever
"The title story is perfect and one of the best short stories I have ever read. It is well worth the price of the book alone and shows how the rest of the selections are working toward this. Wow! This is a life changer."
Unpredictable twisted plots in series of short stories
"Interesting and unique characters fully developed and totally believable. This book is hard to put down once you start reading. Totally enchanted me."
Strange stories that left me wanting to have more
"I rarely give books a five star rating unless it is real literature. This is fine writing and intriguing stories. I will be looking for this author in the future. Please write more, Mr. Tavares!"
- "Makes me want to write my own! I had no idea of the authors 'fame' until I got to the end. Now I'll hear he's voice and I'll have a little smile on my face every time. Thanks, Frank!"
- "I wish there were more stories to read."
- "Short stories are not my favorite form of reading. I prefer to get lost in a good long story. This book of short stories has been the exception for me. Although each story was about 10% of the book, the characters and stories were so cleverly developed I felt like I had read a longer story than I did. I would read anything this author put on the market. I thoroughly enjoyed every line."
- "Excellent group of short stories. I could not put them down. Great read when you only have a few minutes and don't want to get involved in a novel."
- "The author's view of our species and his multifaceted characters create intriguing and sometimes disturbing tales that anyone who loves language, good storytelling and the ironies of being human will enjoy immensely."
- "A good book to get your mind working."
- "Great stories, well written, interesting characters, clever twists. Very unique subject matter. What more could you possibly ask for?"
- "Excellent wordsmith, and what an imagination! I laid awake reading this book more than once."
- "Great short stories with an unexpected twist. Made me think of Roald Dhal."
- “I've read many books on my Kindle and many don't measure up, but this one is genuinely original and quirky. There's little conventional about these stories, so there are pleasant surprises."
- “I love the way he writes! My only regret is that they were short stories but they will prompt me to seek any of his other work. Fun, likely, interesting stories...”
“If you are searching for interesting short stories that aren't burdened by wrapping everything up for you then this is a must read. If you like your stories to lead you to a predictable conclusion then this writer and these stories are not for you.
“The characters are amazing. Some are like strangers I've seen from a distance in my own life. Some are friends I've known forever. Some are former girlfriends and lovers. All are flawed.
“The writing is almost poetic and the emotions that well up in most of these stories were very real to me. You feel for these people. No the stories don't have a neat little ending and that's the point. Does your life? Do all your adventures, if you're having any, wrap up neat and tidy? Or like me, are the experiences you have sometimes leaving you with more questions than answers?
“Read these stories. Apply them to your own life and see if you don't enjoy this collection as much as I did.
“Happy Reading -”
Sasquatch
"First,let me admit that I am a short story junkie, so I am somewhat biased, but this collection of stories is truly outstanding. They are a perfect length, they are tightly written, they are perfect little descriptions of unusual slices of life and they are just fun to read. Each one is completely different and all leave the reader with a deep sense of really knowing and perhaps even understanding the main character. Give this one a try. I truly believe you will not be disappointed, and I look forward to more stories from Mr. Tavares."
“Frank Tavares' stories are well constructed. I couldn't help but be interested in his characters. But what is really captivating is the way, in many of the stories, the plots become surreal. The bounds of reality are stretched, but in ways we can follow. It's as though the surreal lies just beneath the surface of the reality we take for granted. These stories tap into dark veins in human nature, in both men and woman, and it can be uncomfortable to have our own darkness reflected back to us in the mirror of these stories. This is not 'light' reading, and that is a good part of its value.”
"These stories have a clever way of startling. Several times I found myself stopping to laugh at the fresh spins of quirky characters who invariably kept me curious. Thoughtful, fresh, imaginative."
“I love this book. It's reminiscent of Joyce Carol Oates in it's style and mood. It's not often someone find the perfect balance to make a short story work. Frank Tavares has done it in every story here. Fabulous contribution to an underappreciated genre.”
"One of the best book of short stories I have ever read. I hope he is working on more-maybe a novel."
Speculative fiction
"Very interesting, original stories from a prolific mind.. The end of each story causes the reader to rethink the cause and effect.. Be forewarned there are adult subjects."
"Very interesting, original stories from a prolific mind.. The end of each story causes the reader to rethink the cause and effect.. Be forewarned there are adult subjects."
Absolutely Wonderful
"I have been a longtime fan of the short stories written by Chekhov and Katherine Mansfield. Mr. Taveras has created tales which are just as good. Each one is a GEM."
"I have been a longtime fan of the short stories written by Chekhov and Katherine Mansfield. Mr. Taveras has created tales which are just as good. Each one is a GEM."
An extraordinary look in to the ordinary . . .
"These stories take the reader just over the edge; illuminating the dark places that exist in even the most mundane of us. Compelling and disturbing at times, it provides an eerie look in to the recesses of us all . . ." mms
"These stories take the reader just over the edge; illuminating the dark places that exist in even the most mundane of us. Compelling and disturbing at times, it provides an eerie look in to the recesses of us all . . ." mms
Highly Recommended for Personal Reading Lists and Library Collections
"Each story is a minor masterpiece of the writer's craft. The totality of this outstanding collection, while thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end, is also thoughtful and thought-provoking and while works of fiction, resonate with real life experiences of us all. The Man Who Built Boxes And Other Stories is highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library collections. It should be noted that The Man Who Built Boxes And Other Stories is also available in a Kindle edition ($2.99)." Midwest Book Review
"Each story is a minor masterpiece of the writer's craft. The totality of this outstanding collection, while thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end, is also thoughtful and thought-provoking and while works of fiction, resonate with real life experiences of us all. The Man Who Built Boxes And Other Stories is highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library collections. It should be noted that The Man Who Built Boxes And Other Stories is also available in a Kindle edition ($2.99)." Midwest Book Review
Familiar and Strange
"The Man Who Built Boxes is a fascinating collection--full of desperate men and determined women who seem familiar to us as our neighbors and who surprise us with their obsessions, their stories, and their capacity for folly. They act on impulse. A man shoots his neighbors inflatable Santa on a Motorcycle,having gunned down the Snowman and Christmas Tree--admit it, haven't we all had the urge? A woman walks away from her life--just leaves her job for lunch break and keeps going. There are elements of James Cain, John Cheever, and Richard Russo in these stories. Suburban cinema noir with unexpected moments of grace." Judith Podell
"The Man Who Built Boxes is a fascinating collection--full of desperate men and determined women who seem familiar to us as our neighbors and who surprise us with their obsessions, their stories, and their capacity for folly. They act on impulse. A man shoots his neighbors inflatable Santa on a Motorcycle,having gunned down the Snowman and Christmas Tree--admit it, haven't we all had the urge? A woman walks away from her life--just leaves her job for lunch break and keeps going. There are elements of James Cain, John Cheever, and Richard Russo in these stories. Suburban cinema noir with unexpected moments of grace." Judith Podell
"The Man Who Built Boxes and other stories is a book that will keep you guessing and pondering from start to finish."
"The Man Who Built Boxes and other stories is a volume of short stories by a single author, Frank Tavares. Featuring a variety of tales ranging from strange to sorrowful, they offer bite-sized bites of fiction to readers who don’t have the time or inclination to get sucked into something bigger. Short as these stories may be, though, each offers a fully fleshed tale that will keep you engrossed from start to finished.
"The stories in The Man Who Built Boxes are as varied as they are unpredictable. The first, My First Ex-Wife’s Third Wedding, is a thoroughly modern tale of a man attending an ex-wife’s first marriage, meeting up with both her and another ex-wife for an unusual trip down memory lane. Each of the other short stories are equally unexpected in their focus, and yet the quirky characters are so believable in both their shortcomings and their determination to keep going. From the heavily inked runaway fleeing from yet another failed relationship, to the sad yet quite deranged couple who want nothing more than to off each other, it is a look inside the dark side of human nature.
"If you’re looking for an uplifting read, you won’t find it here. Each of the stories in The Man Who Built Boxes either have a sinister twist, or are dark right from the start. They aren’t depressing, though; more, they are thought provoking in a way that is both unexpected and refreshing. While they won’t leave you smiling, they will definitely leave you thinking their unforgiving depiction of the many layers of the human condition. While the stories themselves are not always something you can picture yourself in, the characters and their often heartbreaking situations pull you in with the realism of their emotions and reactions to the world around them.
"The Man Who Built Boxes and other stories is a book that will keep you guessing and pondering from start to finish. From a misunderstood woman in a box to a melancholy old man who yearns for what might have been, the characters created by Frank Tavares are as unpredictable in their actions as they are unforgivably real in their thoughts and feelings. Far from a happy read, The Man Who Built Boxes is an intellectual one instead. My biggest complaint is that it only leaves you wanting more." Amy Nelson, Games Fiends
"The stories in The Man Who Built Boxes are as varied as they are unpredictable. The first, My First Ex-Wife’s Third Wedding, is a thoroughly modern tale of a man attending an ex-wife’s first marriage, meeting up with both her and another ex-wife for an unusual trip down memory lane. Each of the other short stories are equally unexpected in their focus, and yet the quirky characters are so believable in both their shortcomings and their determination to keep going. From the heavily inked runaway fleeing from yet another failed relationship, to the sad yet quite deranged couple who want nothing more than to off each other, it is a look inside the dark side of human nature.
"If you’re looking for an uplifting read, you won’t find it here. Each of the stories in The Man Who Built Boxes either have a sinister twist, or are dark right from the start. They aren’t depressing, though; more, they are thought provoking in a way that is both unexpected and refreshing. While they won’t leave you smiling, they will definitely leave you thinking their unforgiving depiction of the many layers of the human condition. While the stories themselves are not always something you can picture yourself in, the characters and their often heartbreaking situations pull you in with the realism of their emotions and reactions to the world around them.
"The Man Who Built Boxes and other stories is a book that will keep you guessing and pondering from start to finish. From a misunderstood woman in a box to a melancholy old man who yearns for what might have been, the characters created by Frank Tavares are as unpredictable in their actions as they are unforgivably real in their thoughts and feelings. Far from a happy read, The Man Who Built Boxes is an intellectual one instead. My biggest complaint is that it only leaves you wanting more." Amy Nelson, Games Fiends
