Official Review: Did You Ever Try to Melt a Lemon Drop?

Tanaya · Post by **Tanaya** » 13 Aug 2015, 14:24

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Did You Ever Try to Melt a Lemon Drop?" by Richard S. Rose.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Did You Ever Try to Melt a Lemon Drop? is a short story collection by Richard S. Rose.

The book starts with the title story. After the death of Everett Rieman, two of his students show up at the narrator’s apartment to learn more about Ev. The narrator, Ev’s brother-in-law, expands upon the information in Ev’s obituary. “Common Bond” follows the experiences of a college student during the age of hippies. Curious about Christianity, he attends a cult meeting that doesn’t go as expected. “Non Sum, Ergo” is set at a prison courtyard. Clashing groups of activists protest on the day of Noah Juan’s execution. In “The Shirnhafen Experiment,” teenagers are relocated to a separate community to govern themselves.

In total, there are twelve short stories that vary in length and style. The stories contain political and social commentary on such topics as the death penalty, mental illness, religious contradictions, nationality, and military life. While there are serious stories, there are also funny ones. The plots range from wartime in Vietnam to a man who turns into a pigeon. Speaking of which, “Myron Siegel Pigeon” was my personal favorite, with close runners-up. Being a satire, it is intentionally preposterous and downright hilarious. This is a collection that makes the reader laugh out loud and think critically.

Besides coming up with great ideas, crafting endings seems to be the author’s strong suit. He plants seeds throughout the stories so that the reader is kept at an enjoyable level of suspense. As a result, the endings are usually surprising and rewarding. This was the best aspect of the book. The witty humor is also enjoyable. “The First Adventure of Chuck Chisel” is about a private detective in Los Angeles. When Chuck has a vision, he relates it in the following way: “Suddenly, I had a premonition to step to one side. I didn’t know why, however, so I didn’t.” The author often pokes fun at different genres and plot devices.

Another great aspect is that the characters are fully developed. Myron Siegel is a pigeon with a Jewish consciousness. He can’t seem to do anything right whether he’s a bird or a man. In “The Butler Never Does It,” Jefferson Hastings is an eighth-generation butler. The author paints a fascinating portrait of his family history and their tradition of servitude. In “Common Bond,” Rob has to deal with his stereotypical Jewish parents. His mother wants him to marry a Jew, but he’s dating a girl with blue eyes and blonde hair. He desires to embrace the American way of life and detach from his heritage.

Because this is literary fiction, there is plenty for the reader to interpret. In the title story, the reader has to derive the meaning of Ev’s lemon drop theory. Knowledge of other works also plays a role. “Myron Siegel Pigeon” mocks Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull and Philip Roth’s The Breast. However, critical analysis is not necessary. One can simply read the stories for entertainment.

“Rocky Beginning” was the only disappointing story. It follows an astronaut who encounters a giant. The story starts off in an interesting way. We follow the protagonist’s detailed thought process as he approaches the 12-foot being. Unfortunately, the story ends up relying on humor that falls flat. The narrative doesn’t live up to its initial potential.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It was both hilarious and thought provoking. It was incredibly well written, had great characters and fascinating plots. If you don’t like stories that are politically charged, then search elsewhere. Generally speaking, I would recommend this book to any short-story enthusiast. It’s a splendid collection.

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Did You Ever Try to Melt a Lemon Drop?
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zeldas_lullaby · Post by **zeldas_lullaby** » 31 Aug 2015, 22:50

This sounds like an interesting collection of short stories! I enjoyed reading your review. It gave a thorough sense of things. Any author who can mock Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a keen author in my mind. I like that one title too: The Butler Never Does It. This book sounds freakishly good. Congrats to the author, and keep writing short stories, I'd say!

gali · Post by **gali** » 01 Sep 2015, 01:20

Great review! I am glad you enjoyed it and congrats to the author on a positive review!

Tanaya · Post by **Tanaya** » 01 Sep 2015, 09:43

zeldas_lullaby wrote:This sounds like an interesting collection of short stories! I enjoyed reading your review. It gave a thorough sense of things. Any author who can mock Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a keen author in my mind. I like that one title too: The Butler Never Does It. This book sounds freakishly good. Congrats to the author, and keep writing short stories, I'd say!

I agree with your assessment. He should keep writing short stories. When you find what works for you, stick with it, right?

gali wrote:Great review! I am glad you enjoyed it and congrats to the author on a positive review!

It's been refreshing to write multiple 4-star reviews lately. Maybe I'm developing a knack for picking out the right books.

DickRose1 · Post by **DickRose1** » 01 Sep 2015, 20:35

Of course I like the review. You've perceptively caught many of my in-jokes and references. I agree with you that the ending of the astronaut story was weak. I suppose there's nothing worse than a bad pun. But it's already been printed so I can't write right to right a wrong.

Thanks for all those stars. I guess I earned some stripes.
Dick (Rambling) Rose

Tanaya · Post by **Tanaya** » 02 Sep 2015, 15:27

DickRose1 wrote:Of course I like the review. You've perceptively caught many of my in-jokes and references. I agree with you that the ending of the astronaut story was weak. I suppose there's nothing worse than a bad pun. But it's already been printed so I can't write right to right a wrong.

Thanks for all those stars. I guess I earned some stripes.
Dick (Rambling) Rose

I'm glad you liked the review. I really enjoyed the stories. Even the one with the bad pun was still interesting! Good luck to you.

zeldas_lullaby · Post by **zeldas_lullaby** » 02 Sep 2015, 17:21

A bad pun about an astronaut... I have to admit, I'm intrigued.

Tanaya · Post by **Tanaya** » 02 Sep 2015, 18:41

@zeldas_lullaby You just proved the point that there is no such thing as bad publicity as long as it gets your interest.

zeldas_lullaby · Post by **zeldas_lullaby** » 02 Sep 2015, 19:45

HA HA! Yeah, well I really think it sounds like a great book. One less-than-stellar story (ooh! pun intended!) doesn't spell disaster--most short stories are mixed bags anyway. One of my favorite collections is Defy the Dark, but I'm sure I read a few in it that I didn't care for.

hannahbm13 · Post by **hannahbm13** » 02 Sep 2015, 22:37

I've lately been more interested in short stories than I used to be, and this collection sounds quite promising. Good review!

Tanaya · Post by **Tanaya** » 02 Sep 2015, 23:07

zeldas_lullaby wrote:HA HA! Yeah, well I really think it sounds like a great book. One less-than-stellar story (ooh! pun intended!) doesn't spell disaster--most short stories are mixed bags anyway. One of my favorite collections is Defy the Dark, but I'm sure I read a few in it that I didn't care for.

That pun was brilliant. Well done.

hannahbm13 wrote:I've lately been more interested in short stories than I used to be, and this collection sounds quite promising. Good review!

Thanks! Glad I managed to write a convincing review. I appreciate the feedback.

Post by **bookowlie** » 03 Sep 2015, 11:49

Nice, insightful review. I am not a big fan of short stories, but you did make the collection sound interesting! I have to love any review that includes the word "preposterous."

Tanaya · Post by **Tanaya** » 03 Sep 2015, 12:50

Lol! It is a pretty cool word.

Heidi M Simone · Post by **Heidi M Simone** » 04 Sep 2015, 05:59

I really enjoyed your review, Tanaya! You gave duch good details of what the book is about. I loved that even though there was one story that a bit disppointing, the book still got a 4/4 stars. Great review, thanks!

Tanaya · Post by **Tanaya** » 11 Sep 2015, 10:54

Thanks! The collection definitely earned those 4 stars, and I'm glad to hear that I gave a good sense of what the book is about. I appreciate the feedback.