Uncommon Type: Some Stories
by Hanks, Tom
- Used
- Fine
- Hardcover
- Condition
- Fine/Near Fine
- ISBN 10
- 0735273839
- ISBN 13
- 9780735273832
- Seller
-
London (Birr), Ontario, Canada
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Reviews
Uncommon Type: Some Stories is the first print book by American actor, filmmaker and author, Tom Hanks. This is a collection of seventeen quite diverse stories. They vary not only in subject matter, but also format. Many are straight narrative, but there's also a screen play and a series of newspaper columns from the Tri-Cities Daily News/Herald entitled Our Town Today with Hank Fiset. Hank muses on modern news consumption and production compared with that of fifty years ago; he shares his opinion of New York City; he reminisces on significant moments in his life as punctuated by a typewriter bell; he describes a return to analog by a typewriting evangelista.
Typewriters feature heavily: there's a typewriter on the cover; there's an image of a different model of typewriter at the beginning of each chapter; sometimes, a typewriter is an integral part of the story, sometimes it has a minor role, and sometimes it just gets an incidental mention. Many of the characters are appealing and a particular quartet who reappear twice after their initial tale might be well suited to have their own novel (in fact, one of their stories was published in a separate volume in 2014).
The stories are an ideal length for dipping into, but also interesting and different enough to read without pause. Topics are many and mixed: refugees in the present day (or near future) and from a half a century ago; travel by car and plane as well as time travel, space travel and travel down memory lane; ten pin bowling; surfing; motel accommodation; moving house; the public relations junket; making it on the stage; the heavy toll of wartime service.
Hanks gives the reader laughter and romance, loyal friends, wise words and plots that aren't entirely predictable. It's easy to imagine Hanks himself as the narrator in many of these tales: his voice is really there, even in the print version. This is an outstanding debut, and if Hanks ever tires of Hollywood, he can certainly direct his energies to the keyboard (whether a typewriter or electronic), as more tales of this ilk would definitely be welcome. Very enjoyable.
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Details
- Bookseller
- CARDINAL BOOKS ~~ ABAC/ILAB (CA)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 66086n89
- Title
- Uncommon Type: Some Stories
- Author
- Hanks, Tom
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Fine
- Jacket Condition
- Near Fine
- ISBN 10
- 0735273839
- ISBN 13
- 9780735273832
- Publisher
- Knopf Canada
- Place of Publication
- New York, New York
- Date Published
- 2017
- Size
- 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall
Terms of Sale
CARDINAL BOOKS ~~ ABAC/ILAB
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About the Seller
CARDINAL BOOKS ~~ ABAC/ILAB
About CARDINAL BOOKS ~~ ABAC/ILAB
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- New
- A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
- Tight
- Used to mean that the binding of a book has not been overly loosened by frequent use.