Book Review: Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks
Four Stars
“Tell just enough of the truth, but never lie.”
Is there anything Tom Hanks can’t do … and do well? Add writing fiction to the list. His prose is compelling, if pedestrian. Great stories, with a lot of heart.
“Every day in Gotham is a little like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and a little like Baggage Claim after a long, crowded flight.”
Somewhere in each story is a cameo (at least) by an old typewriter. Hanks collects them. Occasionally their presence is an intrusion, but mostly they fit right in. At least once it serves as the McGuffin. While some are contemporary stories, many are set mid-twentieth century.
“In a flash as well defined as that from a Speed Graphic camera ringside at a prize fight …”
Best story is “These are the Meditations of my Heart.”
“… as nutty as a can of Planters.”
As a Matter of Fancy 