Synopsis:

THIS KIND OF MAN offers an unvarnished look at life in 21st Century America, excavating the complicated, tender, wild truth of what it is to be a man across generations and relationships. These stories interrogate the pressures and tensions of contemporary life, and the ways men grapple with them, often without success. Issues such as marriage, fatherhood, aggression, alcoholism, gender expectations, generational backlash, and the inexorable dread of death, abound.

Many of these stories live within a slow implosion of coping, and often failing, as well as those who refuse to succumb, addressing concerns oft-discussed, or not discussed enough, in mainstream print: gun violence, the recent history of coal country Appalachia, sports-related concussions, illegal immigration (and the jobs many of these ostensibly unwelcome folks are obliged to do), homelessness, and the inability of men to honestly connect or communicate.

Far from excusing or exonerating toxic males, this collection locates their violence (toward others, against themselves) in the context of a deadening culture and the false narratives that prevail in an exploitative, zero-sum game capitalist model, where those without are encouraged to quarrel with similarly overworked and underpaid, mostly blue-collar workers. We see that our received notions of manhood and masculinity are inculcated-from the beginning and by design-to ensure willing participation in a system where the overwhelming majority are excluded from the start. We witness the way these dysfunctions are handed down like inheritance, and how every cliché, from fighting to drinking to intolerance of dissent and distrust of others, is a carefully constructed trap, preventing solidarity, empathy, and love (for others, for one’s self).

Favorite Lines:

“How much do we become like the animals we feed on?”

“When you’re not certain where your next meal is coming from and don’t know if you’ll be sleeping indoors ever again, there’s one thing you learn to count on. Coffee.”

“Question, I asked: Who wears a ring on their thumb? Anyone, she said. Anyone who feels like it”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was actually really excited to read this book when I got the review request because I find the topics that it covers to be so interesting but also important. Don’t be fooled, this may be a collection of fictions but the topics they discuss are quite real. Murphy tackles provocative social issues surrounding masculinity, the role of men in society, and much more in a way that is both extremely creative and also brutally honest.

I think that by writing this from a fictional perspective, Murphy was able to more freely tackle the topics being discussed in a way that is reflective of modern day society. I found this to be extremely thought provoking but also informative as a woman to get an inside look at what could be considered the modern day struggle of an average man and, with that, how it in turn can affect others including women.

Summary:

Overall, I thought this was a creative way to tackle complex subjects while keeping readers engaged. It is an extremely clever way to get readers to answer some hard questions themselves through reflection brought on by the stories. I think this is an important read for anyone but would especially recommend it to those that are interested in the complexities of manhood and all that may go with it. Happy reading!

Check out This Kind of Man here!