Review by liftedbooks -- A Second, Less Capable Head

[Uckul]

The story presents our everyday happening in such a bizarre and monstrous way that every on could connect with it and the lessons each story told is so real and practical.

[Jsovermyer]

This book contains a collection of crazy, creative and satirical short stories. The twist at the end of the first story, A Second, Less Capable Head, reminded me of the twists that made the television show, The Twilight Zone, famous. Congratulations to the author for being chosen as BOTD. Thanks to the reviewer for an excellent and intriguing review.

[revna01]

A collection of shorts full of unusual characters and common theme sounds refreshing and unique to readers who enjoy condensed reads. The bizarre isn't my preferred theme, but I appreciate the author's creative side.

[Nandy]

The tales within these covers seem to be very entertaining and interesting.

[holsam_87]

This book is bizarre, I read the first story but was kind of taken off guard by how weird it is. I would probably try it again since I like books that make me think.

[alainagirard81]

I can honestly say that thanks to your thoughtful review, I am going to begin reading this book immediately! The title alone is intriguing, but it is your description of several short stories that are disruptive, frightful and clever means this is a book that I must read. I am a huge fan of David Sedaris, and what you describe sounds somewhat similar to his style. I am also quite interested in politics and therefore love reading political satire. I am excited to get started reading a book that just may disrupt my intestines as much as my sensibilities. Great review!

[read+er]

The short stories seem interesting and funny. I might give this book a try. The main one about the two headed people sounds pretty good. The reviewer did a good job on this review.

[ShailaSheshadri]

A book which is a collection of bizarre short stories that carry some important message seems brilliant! The title "A Second, Less Capable Head" itself hints at some weird idea. I may not like such stories. But, I recommend this book to all who like reading books that contain unique plot and characters.

[FDKangwamu]

I can't wait to fully read this compilation of short stories. After getting the free copy from Amazon courtesy of OBC, I went through a few pages and I absolutely loved it. However, as was said in the official review, this book is not for everyone, some may find it too prude. All in all, it's a really great book

[Dolor]

James Hanna's A Second, Less Capable Head And Other Rogue Stories is an #Anthology of 19 tales delving into the troubled minds and bizarre stories of schizophrenics, drug addicts, vagabonds, tiny aliens, stalkers, and much more. The tales are hilarious, absurd, and frightening.

I have not yet decided whether to read or bypass reading the entire contents of this book.

Thanks for the review.

#Psychological #Fiction #Dark #Humor #FreeBook

[Opemiracle]

A Second, Less Capable, Head: And Other Rogue Stories is a collection of short stories by James Hanna. Hanna has drawn on his experiences as a probation officer in San Francisco, time spent in Australia, and as a prison counselor in conjuring the characters and situations in his stories. The title story, A Second, Less Capable Head, is also the first story and sets a surreal tone. It is an absurd story of a male Tea Party activist who grows a second head from his neck. His doctor will not remove the head because it would be akin to murder and the man must deal with the impact of the head on his life and his marriage. Many of the stories that follow are darker and more disturbing. The other stories included in the collection are: The Guest, Exposed, The Stalker, Fruits, The Outback, The Sicilian, Breaking Vials, Honey Bunny, Jimmy Likes Mermaids, The Dress, Hunting Bear, Cheating the Jail Out of Time, The Break, The World Baseball League, The Wall, Hunter's Moon, Another Will Take Your Place, and The Body in the Bay.

I enjoyed Hanna’s writing style, particularly his descriptive flair. For example, in Hunter’s Moon, when describing a man’s courtroom demeanor, Hanna wrote five efficient words that convey a lot about the defendant; “Ryan grins like a rattler.” In describing the actions of a military school cadet in The Wall Hanna wrote: “Your rifle, at these times, would pause in midflight, cracking your palm before whirling like a baton twice windmilled in the gleaming black mirrors of your shoes.” Hanna’s distinctive style is an excellent pairing with the subject matter in his stories.

At times the book made me uncomfortable because I while I was enjoying the writing I was sometimes quite disturbed by the content, but I think that is the point. Hanna’s stories are not about comfortable situations or quaint observations of human nature. This collection of stories explores themes of selfishness, hypocrisy, insanity, criminality, and violence. It looks at the limited ways in which society is dealing with these issues and the people on the front lines of law enforcement.

I enjoyed the peculiar qualities present in many of the stories. At times I wondered if events in a story were only occurring in a character’s imagination. All of the stories had an element of surprise and often took an unexpected right-turn at the end. The characters were believable and well developed considering the length of the stories. They have remained on my mind.

This book is not for sensitive readers, although if you are a reader of thrillers and crime novels nothing in this book will be a shock to your sensibilities. What is unique is the way Hanna tells the stories. They are at once surreal and realistic.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. There were two very minor typographical errors, but they didn’t distract from the enjoyment of the book.

[Samy Lax]

A book that concludes in unexpected and not-so-pleasant ways? This might be too much for me to digest. I tried reading story number one in the book and was taken aback by how strange the whole thing was.I'll pass on this one.

[Surabhi Rani]

'Volunteer Review: A Second Less Capable Head by James Hanna' is a useful preliminary information of the book. It gives a full picture of the contents of the book and well focuses on the negative points of reading the book. The readers feel quite at home to learn that the book is a good quick evening read!

[DorcasToo]

The cover of this book alone speaks volumes of how this collection of short stories is full of weirdos. I would like to read and know more about each story. Thanks for your great review.

[ashanti_ceez]

Definitely the next book I'm reading looking forward to the interesting characters.