REVIEW: Nine Inches

I’ve been a lover of Tom Perrotta’s work for 15 years, and his collection of short stories, Nine Inches, did not disappoint. Perrotta writes characters so realistic and relatable you feel you are reading a diary, not a collection of short stories.  I frequently refer to Perrotta’s writing as “comfort food for my brain” due to the beautifully simplistic way he explores and portrays human nature so honestly and empathically.

Nine Inches is a collection of stories revolving around the various residents in a suburban New Jersey town. These stories become vehicles for exposing the loneliness, self-empowerment, battle of “what ifs”, pride, love lost and found, and true kindness we experience through the various relationships we encounter over a lifetime.

Pros to this collection: Obviously I’m a fan of Perrotta’s writing and it holds up throughout the collection, the female characters are impressively written, each story is well shaped and related, reminding the reader that we all inhabit this time and this life together.

Cons to this collection: While each story is solid and beautifully told, the similarities between a few of the stories creates that feeling you have when you listen to an entire album of – let’s say – Barbara Streisand . Perrotta would have benefited from adding a touch of variety to his exploration of these common themes.

Stand-out stories: Nine Inches, Senior Season, and Kiddie Pool. 

Rating: 4 Inches