I Hate to See That Evening Sun Go Down: Collected Stories Audiobook

" Every one's a hit. Harrowing, brilliant, funny. Awfully good. "

" Had to take this one slow, only one story at a time interspersed with some lighter subject reading. Even though this author reminded me heavily of Cormac McCarthy, who I did not enjoy, this one I definitely wanted to keep reading. Thanks to my friend Steve for this recommendation ! "

" William Gay is one of my favorite writers. His gift for language is astounding. "

" Gay's stories, like his novels, are atmospheric, dark, and deeply satisfying. It's the voice, though, that grabs. AFter one paragraph you know you are in the hands of an assured, confident writer. In addition to a formidable vocabulary (stygian?) he reinvents language, creates compounds that make poetic sense : hearthammer, foldup, halfbent. Later, more dashes appear to legitimize his creations, which is a shame, but what can you do? If kittens, rainbows and bloodless murder mysteries are your favorite things, steer clear of this southern gothic writer who shrinks from nothing. "The Paperhanger" in particular, is not for the faint of heart. "

" Beautiful stories that layer on top of each other as you continue to read through the collection. "

" Some of his stories are slight and feel sort of hasty. But when he's on the mark, (eg The Paperhanger) he'll haunt your dreams. "

" You need to read this collection. Cause I told you to. Do it. Now. Now, darn it. "

" You can read my thoughts here. (3.5/5) "

" Stories of people in the south, their bad choices and the consequences. Each so affecting I feel I have to take a break between reading them. "

" Very good creepy short stories "

" William Gay's writing is thick with meaning, images, and emotion. The best of Southern Gothic writing. "

" Better than Faulkner's short stories in a lot of ways. "

" Masterful short story collection. Southern tales of the creepy and the cruel - "The Paperhanger" is gorgeously written though its chill is difficult to shake, even years after reading it. "

" One of the best collections of short stories I've ever read. Whenever I read his work I want to leave everything and move down to Tenn. or Kentucky and drive around in a blue pick up truck. Gay is a man that knows how to write beautiful stories of lives falling apart. "

" Even his weaker stories are gorgeous for the language and imagery and his disturbing perspective on the world. "

" Great collection. Gay's writing lived up to all I'd heard about it. Looking forward to reading the rest of his work. "

" I'm giving up now. The fifth story was also murder, evil and people lost to the world. I'll give it 3 stars because of the quality of the writing, but it's too dark for me. "

" I loved these stories, the vivid color of the scenes, the characters took you through the moments of their lives, into their techniques for solving the problems that they are struggling through. "

" very strong collection and some of these stories are amazing. a great way to wade into william gay... i did enjoy the novels more. maybe because his character development is so rich and the longer form allows more time to explore. "

" Southern Gothic at its best. "

" He is compared to Flannery O'Conner a lot and I can see why, and I'd just rather read her I guess. Some good realist stories set in the south with twist endings. Only read the first three stories and that was enough for me. "

" I read this because the author lives in Hohenwald, where I live. He is a very dark writer. These stories are lighter than his novel, but someone dies in every one. "

" Excellent and I will read anything written by Mr. Gay "

" Really glad I gave William Gay a second chance. While I wasn't a fan of TWILIGHT, this collection of stories demonstrates a stylistic restraint that enhances the reading experience. I am slowly being converted by this writer. "

" All of these stories are well executed, but Gay has a very finite list of themes and dramatic devices. I love William Gay, but all of these stories in a row start to blend together. And most end in death. So. "

" These stories can be a little dark, but well written "

" William Gay is a brilliant writer. This collection of stories is wonderful. "

" amazing writer with a bit of southern gothic - The Paperhanger is harrowing... "

" These stories can be a little dark, but well written "

" I've read about 3 of the stories in this book so far and I am totally smitten. He's amazing - how is it that I was unaware of him until only recently? Where was I? Good thing my husband bought me all of his books for my birthday! "

" Really glad I gave William Gay a second chance. While I wasn't a fan of TWILIGHT, this collection of stories demonstrates a stylistic restraint that enhances the reading experience. I am slowly being converted by this writer. "

" Gay's brilliant Southern Gothic stories are haunting. Nowhere but in a Gay anthology would you find a story like "The Paperhanger." I was entranced by the lurid characters, the helplessness of some, and the immediate southern voice they all shared. "

" I loved these stories, the vivid color of the scenes, the characters took you through the moments of their lives, into their techniques for solving the problems that they are struggling through. "

" Great collection. Gay's writing lived up to all I'd heard about it. Looking forward to reading the rest of his work. "

" amazing writer with a bit of southern gothic - The Paperhanger is harrowing... "

" Excellent and I will read anything written by Mr. Gay "

" While I loved his storytelling ability I just walked away feeling like I was under a dark, dark cloud. "

" One of the best collections of short stories I've ever read. Whenever I read his work I want to leave everything and move down to Tenn. or Kentucky and drive around in a blue pick up truck. Gay is a man that knows how to write beautiful stories of lives falling apart. "

" So good. I love a depraved protagonist or (since this is short stories) *many* depraved protagonists. Favorite story is "The Paperhanger." "