Michel Sauret

What I like best about this book is that the author was so incredibly honest. It was heartbreaking yet refreshing. The author does speak of God but Christianity is not pushed at you. Rather we know he is Christian through choices he makes. In truth, the author mentioned he was raised Catholic but as I finished the book I had no idea which religion he is now. I say this because I don't want someone to be put off reading it because they think it is a message about God. The message I had was that if teenage pregnancy happens to you it is okay if your thought process is like this. Or if you experience a miscarriage you may have feelings like I had. That is okay. You will make it past. The hurt will dull though the loss remains. I wish that this book could be in high school curriculum. I think teenage sex/pregnancy are a reality of life and that teens could benefit from reading this book. Not from the author's christian views but from his brutal honesty. It is a story that will touch everyone who reads it.… (mais)

This collection takes 22 different short stories, told by a range of different characters with very different concerns and beliefs, and slowly weaves them into a wider whole. This review is of the renewed edition.

The stories cover a range of characters, from young children to the elderly, from drug-addicted mothers to unremarkable singletons. Although each narrative is fully immersed in the events of its protagonist, there are some common themes: many of the stories feature how a person might react to receiving a unique message about the world, ranging from believing it to be the voice of God to fighting to regain a perception of sanity; several stories raise the question of whether seeking to perform a task well is good in and of itself, or if hard work is only good if it is also done for a worthwhile purpose.

A few of the stories are very short, and either lack a strong character challenge or leave their arc unfulfilled, so do not stand well on their own. However, when read in the context of the wider narrative they provide both depth and breadth. This dependency makes the collection more suitable to reading in the fashion of a novel rather than dipped in and out of over a longer period.

Although there is this philosophical aspect to the stories, both individually and as a whole, it does not take precedence over the characters and stories themselves, making it something the reader can consider further or leave as merely an aspect of a particular character’s arc.

The characters are fully realised, and are from a range of backgrounds. While some of the characters are strongly Christian or atheist, this often provides them with greater issues than characters of less firm beliefs. Although Sauret is avowedly Christian himself, he also avoids making Christianity the solution: Christians are as likely to achieve only a partial victory as atheists; indeed at least one character who believes they are following a message from God discovers they have been lead astray. Ultimately, each character succeeds or fails due to their response to subjective stimuli and not objective truth.

The collection opens with an introduction from the author, setting out not only how it came to be, but also his objective in assembling the collection. While the statement of purpose is an interesting insight, it does influence a reader’s perception of the more mysterious sections in some of the stories, so would function better if read after the stories.

The introduction also states that the renewed edition removes the more profane but potentially more authentic language that was included in the first edition. In fact, it is only biological swearwords that are replaced with statements that a character cussed; a spattering of theological swearwords are still present, making this collection unsuitable for readers who do not wish any bad language. For readers who can countenance some blasphemy from non-Christians, it serves to highlight the spiritual as one possible response to life.

I enjoyed this collection. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy discovering how even the most insignificant events in a person’s life might have a major impact to someone else.… (mais)

“Amidst Traffic” is a book of short stories that ponders life’s challenges, choices and what ifs. In the forward the author suggests that the intent is to present stories that make readers think about their relationship with God. Many of the stories are somewhat open ended as a seeming invitation to the reader to contemplate the experience of the short story.

The story that I liked best was titled “The Staring Game.” A man feels that he’s playing God by staring at and judging people. He is called out on his conceit. Sauret says in his story, “Maybe that’s why so many people hate God, or pretend He doesn’t exist,” I said. “We can’t stand the idea of being under His microscope.” (Kindle Editon 146). While the intent is made clear further in the story with the idea that God sees the worst of souls and being the ultimate judge is perhaps not as attractive a job as it might seem, what I took was the truth in the statement. As a child who grew up in religion I had a strong sense of never being good enough. The hypercritical folks at church who stood in judgment in the name of God could have been the man on the street. “The Staring Game” is the only story with which I, as a reader, truly connected.

The rest of the stories were weighted in language but overt in intent. The stories are very well written technically. Sauret is clearly a scholar and readers who need meaning and depth in their entertainment will devour the stories of “Amidst Traffic.”… (mais)

Amidst Traffic is a collection of twenty-two short stories written by Michel Sauret. Each powerful story stands alone, but eventually it becomes apparent that they are interconnected. Even though the subject matter varies from story to story, there are some commonalities which include introspection of the characters, a need for order and the search for answers.

All the stories are memorable. The first is Three Straws . Short order cook, Eli, is plagued by dreams of disfigured children chasing him. Unable to sleep, he begins digging a hole on his property. Exhausted, he finally sleeps but this is temporary. In the title story, Amidst Traffic, a young woman covers herself with unconventional tattoos which consist of words and phrases-the significance of which she no longer remembers. After much thought, I found the most poignant story to be When The Knife Opened. A young man with a knife on a New York City subway comes close to a life changing event.

This is a superbly written anthology. Mr. Sauret is a gifted writer who has a keen understanding of the human condition. Flawed and complex characters, originality and thought provoking themes make for fascinating reading. This is a collection that can be read more than once.

I received this book free of charge through Review The Book and I give this review of my own free will.… (mais)