One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories by B.J. Novak
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
B.J. Novak, who I know best from his work on The Office, has released this collection of short (and, seriously, these are very short) stories. As is usually the case with short stories, they're a mixed bag, with some peaks and valleys, but, overall, Novak has put together a really interesting collection of ideas here, with clever premises and a wry sense of humor.
The biggest problem that I had is that so many of the pieces read like drafts of larger pieces, rather than as completed works, or as bits from a stand-up routine. Novak's ideas are great--there are some really interesting "what if"s here, and some very clever concepts that he's exploring--but his execution of the concepts feels a little flat at times. More than once, I thought to myself "That's a really cool idea for a short story!" and then had to remind myself "No, wait. This is the short story." The overall impression is that you're listening to a friend explain an idea to you, rather than reading the finished product.
Still, I wouldn't have any hesitation recommending this to my friends, and I look forward to seeing more from Novak. I like the way his mind works, and the unusual directions he takes many of these tales.
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