This mildly amusing collection of very short stories didn't measure up to the positive reviews that led me to buy it. A few of the stories do hit the bullseye, because they are funny in an offbeat way: Classical was probably my favorite. Mostly, however, they sort of blend into each other around a basic plot -- guy wins girl, girl rejects guy in an unexpected way. Also, it's much more about weddings than about being married, which after you have done it for a while is way funnier than the wedding. Would have left the book about mid-way, but it is so short I finished. ( )

Another collection of extremely short stories from Dan Rhodes, these are very much in the style of his previous collection Anthropology. The form of the stories is actually somewhat more varied, in that those stories were all 101 words long while these range from a paragraph to a page. And many of the stories, taken individually, are enjoyable and interesting to read. But taken together, this new collection lacks the variety, depth and coherence of Anthropology. My review of that collection said the stories "amount to an anthropology of modern relationships, capturing the full range of emotions from funny to romantic to sad." In contrast, Marry Me is depressingly monotonous, with story after story about broken off engagements, divorce, affairs, superficial focus on looks, etc. Any one of them is fine--or even a novel length version of any one of them would have been fine--but dozens of separate stories all with the same point gets tedious and painful.

To give a sample, here is one of the stories, titled "Anniversary":

"On our first anniversary I held Maranatha‰ÃƒÂ›Ã‚ªs hand, looked into her eyes and told her that even though I wouldn‰Ûªt have thought it possible I loved her even more deeply than I had on our wedding day.

"‰Û÷It‰Ûªs funny,‰Ûª she said. ‰Û÷I‰Ûªve gone completely the other way. Come to think of it, I‰Ûªm amazed I‰Ûªve stayed as long as I have. There‰Ûªs no way I‰Ûªm going to be here next year.‰Ûª" ( )

I tend to be fairly wordy, which is a serious handicap in our 140 character world. When I come across someone who can, unlike me, convey a world in very few words, I am impressed and a little awed. Dan Rhodes' newest story collection, Marry Me, is comprised of very brief flash fiction pieces, many of which contain a universe in their short paragraph(s).

Ranging from a paragraph in length to a couple of pages, each story is fully self contained. Thematically, they are all similar, focusing on relationship, engagements, weddings, marriage, and divorce. Rhodes doesn't present the hearts and flowers version of any of this. Instead he cheerfully skewers each in turn. And rather than containing raptures, his brief flashes are composed of wry observations, cynical black humor, and casual uneasiness. They make a pretty forceful statement about the ridiculous expectations we put on the trappings of marriage (both prior to and afterwards) and the way in which society has caused us to look for the unrealistic in our relationship lives and loves.

This is not a collection celebrating marriage or love by any stretch of the imagination but it is hilarious. I did truly laugh out loud as I read it. I also snorted derisively. And I shook my head in disgust. The stories are quirky, sarcastic, and even farcical. They chronicle an awful lot of unhappiness, acceptance of the mediocre, and the way in which we treat marriage as disposable. Because the short collection of 80 stories revolves around the same theme, some of the stories feel repetitious and it is a bit odd that there's no alternate vision of marriage offered as a counterbalance but over all, as a collection, this is a fantastic read. It can easily be read in one sitting but is perhaps best dipped into to maintain the impact of the stories individually. ( )

Another collection of extremely short stories from Dan Rhodes, these are very much in the style of his previous collection Anthropology. The form of the stories is actually somewhat more varied, in that those stories were all 101 words long while these range from a paragraph to a page. And many of the stories, taken individually, are enjoyable and interesting to read. But taken together, this new collection lacks the variety, depth and coherence of Anthropology. My review of that collection said the stories "amount to an anthropology of modern relationships, capturing the full range of emotions from funny to romantic to sad." In contrast, Marry Me is depressingly monotonous, with story after story about broken off engagements, divorce, affairs, superficial focus on looks, etc. Any one of them is fine--or even a novel length version of any one of them would have been fine--but dozens of separate stories all with the same point gets tedious and painful.

To give a sample, here is one of the stories, titled "Anniversary":

"On our first anniversary I held Maranatha’s hand, looked into her eyes and told her that even though I wouldn’t have thought it possible I loved her even more deeply than I had on our wedding day.

"‘It’s funny,’ she said. ‘I’ve gone completely the other way. Come to think of it, I’m amazed I’ve stayed as long as I have. There’s no way I’m going to be here next year.’" ( )