Book Review: Making Sense

Title: Making Sense

Author: Jim Murdoch

Genre: Short Stories/fiction

Review:

This is one of those books that makes you think.  You know, one of those make-you-pause-in-your-busy-life-and-just-think type of book.  Readers looking for a book with a strong plot should not read this book.  Readers looking to reflect and look at the 5 senses differently should pick up this book.  I love the concept of this book: Murdoch explores the "other" senses not categorized into the usual 5 senses, like sense of humor, sense of acceptance, sense of love, etc.

As I mentioned before, there really is no beginning, middle or end in Making Sense.  Rather, you get to meet an array of different characters in each short story.  Each character explores what life means to them.  In each "meet the character" story, readers get to explore a new "sense."  I must say, the characters you meet in Making Sense are some of the most diverse characters you will ever meet.

There is one sentence I really loved...the words the author uses are all chosen very carefully.  So one of the characters is talking about how scientists still haven't been able to create a vacuum because "there're always one or two stray atoms bobbing up around with nothing better to do than screw up their experiments."  Then I love this sentence that follows shortly afterwards when the main character is caught lying to his spouse: "It was my silence that found me out, just a moment's silence--it doesn't take much--a moment's silence and a few molecules of meaning." Isn't that a beautiful comparison? (Or maybe that's just my inner geek calling out, lol)

There were a few stories that were harder to read due to the character's accent in his/her narration.  The words were spelled with a Scottish accent. Don't get me wrong--it was still readable, but it took much more concentration to figure out what the words were.  The writing kind of reminded me of the writing style Mark Twain used in The Adventures of Hucklberry Finn.  Here's an example from Making Sense, "Ma wife sez Ah'm too serious."

Over all, I liked the book and found it fun to read.  There were definitely a few characters and their stories that really stood out to me.  The writing wasn't too long so that it became tedious to read yet it wasn't too short either.

Rating: