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Crack The Darkest Sky Wide Open (2000)

by Eric Arvin(Favorite Author)

4.17 of 5 Votes: 5

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English

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review 1: This has to be one of the best books I've ever read and that's saying quite a bit given that it's an anthology and it's quite easy to hit a wrong note when there are so many authors playing. But everything is perfectly pitched and simply took my breath away. Picture a roller coaster and the building up to the first hill, the amazing view and breath taking realization that the world is just about to drop out from underneath your feet and then the heart pounding twists and drops that follow. That's the ride that this anthology takes you on, just when you think ok I've got this yet another drop or twist just steals your breath again.It started off with Arvin's story, which not surprisingly is poignant, thought provoking and tightly woven. It's yet another peak into this man'... mores amazing mind. This was just the start of the brilliance however. Next we have Roux and while I was slightly unsure how she'd fit in with this group, those doubts quickly evaporated when I was introduced to the men of 211. Their story was quick, brutal and passionate. Without being preachy or melodramatic she gave a voice to a group of men fighting a losing battle for their lives and yet finding the humanity to love despite the futility of their situation. Peterson was unflinching in revealing the deepest darkest and most depraved parts of the human soul. It was dark, violent and brutal but I couldn't look away. When I just think that I've been treated to the most heart wrenching story up came Huffman-Black who in just 3 and a half pages managed to steal my breath. He held no punches when he introduced a character that I related to and then unflinchingly delved right into the heart of human pain with his masterful ending. McAuley reminded me of my first love and how bittersweet endings can be and that sometimes endings are really just a beginning of something better. Then there's Klune's John and Jackie. I can understand why he had troubles writing this in earlier drafts, because frankly he needed Arvin to show him what such devotion is like. The story is raw, real and unforgettable. The life time of love that Klune is able to show us in such a short space is masterful. From first to last kiss John and Jackie are what we all want in love and yet so few of us find. Klune manages to write a love story that's poignant and not overly sentimental. John and Jackie just are, and that's how it was meant to be.This is one anthology that left an indelible mark and when I recover from my first trip into the Crack I fully intend to revisit these stories multiple times. I simply can't convey how simply amazing and masterful this collection of stories is. These are once in a life time journeys and in finding a home together creates one hell of a ride. I wasn’t overly familiar with many of these authors prior to this anthology but I trust Arvin’s brilliance and once again it paid off.
review 2: This was definitely a mixed bag so the brief star list I'll rate as follows (from least to most favorite - because they literally ran the gamut):2 Stars (couldn't connect with this even through multiple readings (so I really tried)-Anguish - Jason Huffman-BlackThis one didn't quite fit with the other tales in the book. I would have given it one star but the author obviously is talented. The prose was tight and moving, just not the subject matter. I couldn't find the groove to sink in and absorb. Will definitely give this author a try with other works because I do admire the prose and his love of words.3 Stars - The Hotel Luz - S.A. McAuleyInteresting premise but ultimately I wasn't taken by the characters like I wanted to be. I did appreciate the movement back and forth between Leo and Elia. Nice interplay between their perspectives. The issue I am having in reviewing it is that I like the authors approach, style and ability to put you clearly in the mindset of each of the characters - well done there. However, I just was left with a overall 'meh' for the story. Not a bad 'meh' but not a great one either. Thus the middle road star treatment. I liked it enough that I will definitely seek out this author's other work. So that's a hidden bonus.The Demon of Jericho - Eric ArvinThis tale was a stumper for me. I liked the concept very much. Liked the characters but the mythology behind it was a bit ragged around the edges. Otherwise this would have easily been a four or five star piece (for me, anyway). I particularly liked the coloring of the scenes and the overall mood. I got sort of a gay slanted form of a Tim Burton world, slightly off kilter but intimately familiar. The horrific events around the demise of one of the characters was particularly well done. Gave me the creeps! 4 Stars - Wrong - SJD PetersonThis one was the one I probably was most interested in reading. I have several of Peterson's books on various wish lists, curious about the theme's in which they cover. But I had yet to buy one and sample the work. This one didn't disappoint. Think a gay Twilight Zone episode complete with moral at the end of the tale with some harshly tinged brutal gay sex scenes for good measure. Yeah, that sums it up: Rod Sterling narrating a BDSM gay porn-esque moral tale. Thassit!The Cruel Thing - Abigail RouxThis one was a genuine surprise. I have always been drawn to WWII era, particularly because of the music and the overall time period. Yet, given that I am not so pro on war stories in and of themselves, until I got to this one. Ms. Roux crafted a brilliant piece that gave us immediacy without feeling rushed, poignancy without being maudlin. Deftly handled and brilliantly executed. If she does another in this vein, I'm all in.5 Stars - John and Jackie - TJ KluneOkay first off, I read this on the heels of what has easily become one of my all time favorite novels - Into This River I Drown. So Klune is a sentimental favorite of mine that I will beat down walls to get to his work. I wasn't at all disappointed with John and Jackie's story. Lovely play with time (of which Klune is a master) that never leaves you hanging wondering where you are in the timeline (a craft he puts to even better brilliance with 'Into this River...')Like Cal in River, John is our angel in this story, with a proper counter part that gives as much as he gets in Jackie. The ending I saw a mile in coming but I gotta tell ya, under Klune's deft hand, I didn't mind in the least. It still touched me. He knows the exact pace with which to keep the reader entranced even if the end game is in sight. The path to it is that well written. A lovely, lovely tale on true love. Klune is an author that I share in reading with my husband and we both enjoy his work immensely. I highly recommend this book for this story alone. Though the gems are a plenty across the board. less

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