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(More customer reviews)Bernhard Schlink created a devoted following with the translation of his first novel THE READER. Opinion was divided among critics and readers as to whether or not this author was playing on simplistic heart-string tuggings or whether he really had somthing new to say and an equal talent to say it. Being part of the camp of readers who were caught up in the story of 'The Reader' and waited eagerly to see just where this writer would/could go, I am happy to say that FLIGHTS OF LOVE is substantial proof that Schlink is a very fine storyteller. This book of seven short stories, while a bit uneven, at least shows that the author can relate tales of interest, of introspection, of intrique, and in general can keep his reader flowing with his thoughts to the somewhat open-ended conclusions. "The Other Man" is deftly told and has much more of a universal appeal than the isolated story would indicate. 'Girl with Lizard' is a mesmerizing tale based on a man's relationship to a painting! One of the unifying elements in Schlink's creative mind is examining how internalized perceptions, when maintained in the prison of an individual's mind, can alter the manner in which we live through relationships, ways that could have been more constructive had communication of these altered perceptions occurred. Sounds simple, but the way Schlink uses this tool to alter his characters reaction to not only each other but to everyone and everything in their lives is touching and rings true. If at times his writing seems detached or cold, I wonder how much of that is due to the fact that we are reading translations. Despite any of the negative points mentioned, here is a collection of short stories that merit attention and make us eager for the next full scale novel to come along. Grady Harp, February 10
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A mesmeric collection of stories about love. In his characteristically unsentimental, elegant and spare prose, Schlink unveils characters and relationships haunted by betrayal and guilt, in situations where self-examination is inescapable. FLIGHTS OF LOVE consists of seven stories, all of them weaving around the idea of love - why people are drawn to it and why some run away. Schlink shows us in turn love as desire, love as confusion, love as a quick affair, love as a drastic life-changing rebellion, love as a force of habit, love as self-betrayal. The cumulative effect is a book which uses effortlessly beguiling language to examine the universal human desire to find a lasting loving relationship, however thwarted that desire ultimately is.
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