The George Stories was written by Christopher Gould and published by Atmosphere Press in 2019. You can purchase it on Amazon/Kindle, and you can visit the author on Amazon and on social media.
When I want "more story" from an author, it says a lot about the talent that the writer has. I want to read more Christopher Gould.
George Martian is born into a world of normality, but he proved to be anything but normal. He is soon measured up to be a child prodigy and his greatness is seen to have no boundaries. But then tragedy strikes, thrusting him in the complete opposite direction, causing him to be totally dependent on others for his survival. His family treats him as a burden, leaving George with no place to turn, but to himself. With grit and determination, he manages to escape some of the turmoil but his lot in life is still a constant and difficult struggle. Through the tragic and comical segments of his life George searches for his own identity, place and even though he is able to shake some of the negative chains off, he is still weighed down by them and the thought of them will forever haunt him. The George Stories gives us snippets of a man's life from childhood to adulthood and in the way it is written, it allows us time to think about George and to also examine our own lives as compared to his. What we find, while most of us will, are a lot of similarities between him and us and how we internalize, analyze and react to others and their behaviors toward us. In doing so we become either silent or we speak up but no matter the case, there are always consequences. Sometimes good. Sometimes bad. While sometimes extreme, I could relate to George Martian, and I began to really like and care for the character. I was there with him, rooting him on as he faced his life. The author's style was to present George's life in sections or vignettes which leaves the reader to use our imaginations to fill in the gaps. This works and sometimes it doesn't- depending on the personal preferences of the reader. For me, it worked but I still wanted to learn more, which led up to each segment of George's life. When I, as a reviewer, wants "more story" from an author, it says a lot about the talent that the writer has. So, I can't wait to read more from Christopher Gould. I loved The George Stories!
I give The George Stories 4 out of 5 stars.
Christopher Gould is a scheduled guest on The Writers Lounge Blog Talk Radio Show #136 on April 3, 2023.