PHOTO SOURCE:
TYPORAMA
***********
***********
THAT'S WHERE YOU GO & OTHER SHORT STORIES
PETER J. DELLOLIO
************
ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR AND BOOK REVIEWS CAFE'S WEBSITE.
************
"Peter J. Dellolio has crafted something rare here: a collection that challenges, comforts, and lingers. If you’re someone who loves fiction that gets under your skin and whispers truths you didn’t expect to hear, don’t miss this one. It’s not just a book—it’s an experience."
**QUOTE TAKEN FROM BOOK REVIEWS CAFE'S WEBSITE**
************
September 21
************
PRAISE FOR THAT'S WHERE YOU GO & OTHER SHORT STORIES:
From the moment I opened “That’s Where You Go & Other Short Stories” by Peter J. Dellolio, I knew I was in for something more than just a casual read. This wasn’t a book I could skim through over a cup of coffee—it demanded my full attention, and honestly, it earned every second of it.Each story felt like slipping into someone else’s skin. I found myself holding my breath at times, feeling like an invisible observer in rooms thick with tension, longing, or secrets. Dellolio doesn’t just write characters—he *embodies* them. Every emotion, every motive, every glance feels loaded with meaning. His language is so precise and vivid that I often had to pause, reread a sentence, and just sit with it for a moment. That’s rare for me.What really struck me was how the stories explore the more obsessive, shadowy corners of human nature. Power, control, possession—not just over others, but over memory, identity, even self-worth—are threads that keep surfacing. I couldn’t shake the feeling that these characters were often trapped in invisible contracts with themselves or their pasts. And yet, somehow, their struggles never felt melodramatic. Instead, they were quietly devastating. Real.But what makes this collection shine isn’t just its depth—it’s the balance. For all the weighty themes, there are moments of sharp wit and unexpected warmth. Dellolio knows exactly when to pull back and let the story breathe, giving me space to laugh or sigh before diving back into the emotional depths.There’s also this rhythmic quality to his storytelling—like each tale has its own heartbeat. Some stories quicken the pulse, others lull you into slow, meditative reflection. And while each one stands solidly on its own, together they form a beautifully interwoven tapestry of family, longing, inheritance, and the restless need to find meaning in life’s messiness.By the time I reached the last page, I wasn’t ready to leave. “That’s Where You Go & Other Short Stories” stayed with me—not just the plots or characters, but the *feeling* of it. It made me reflect on the quiet negotiations we make every day—what we own, what owns us, and where we truly belong.**PRAISE TAKEN FROM BOOK REVIEWS CAFE'S WEBSITE**
************
ABOUT THAT'S WHERE YOU GO & OTHER SHORT STORIES:
My fiction generally reflects some of the influence of modern writers I greatly admire, namely Joyce, Kafka, Beckett, Robbe-Grillet, Hawkes.
Hopefully, I have stamped this influence with some of my own thematic and formal concerns.************
From the moment I opened “That’s Where You Go & Other Short Stories” by Peter J. Dellolio, I knew I was in for something more than just a casual read. This wasn’t a book I could skim through over a cup of coffee—it demanded my full attention, and honestly, it earned every second of it.
Each story felt like slipping into someone else’s skin. I found myself holding my breath at times, feeling like an invisible observer in rooms thick with tension, longing, or secrets. Dellolio doesn’t just write characters—he *embodies* them. Every emotion, every motive, every glance feels loaded with meaning. His language is so precise and vivid that I often had to pause, reread a sentence, and just sit with it for a moment. That’s rare for me.
What really struck me was how the stories explore the more obsessive, shadowy corners of human nature. Power, control, possession—not just over others, but over memory, identity, even self-worth—are threads that keep surfacing. I couldn’t shake the feeling that these characters were often trapped in invisible contracts with themselves or their pasts. And yet, somehow, their struggles never felt melodramatic. Instead, they were quietly devastating. Real.
But what makes this collection shine isn’t just its depth—it’s the balance. For all the weighty themes, there are moments of sharp wit and unexpected warmth. Dellolio knows exactly when to pull back and let the story breathe, giving me space to laugh or sigh before diving back into the emotional depths.
There’s also this rhythmic quality to his storytelling—like each tale has its own heartbeat. Some stories quicken the pulse, others lull you into slow, meditative reflection. And while each one stands solidly on its own, together they form a beautifully interwoven tapestry of family, longing, inheritance, and the restless need to find meaning in life’s messiness.
By the time I reached the last page, I wasn’t ready to leave. “That’s Where You Go & Other Short Stories” stayed with me—not just the plots or characters, but the *feeling* of it. It made me reflect on the quiet negotiations we make every day—what we own, what owns us, and where we truly belong.
**PRAISE TAKEN FROM BOOK REVIEWS CAFE'S WEBSITE**
************
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Peter J. Dellolio was born in NYC 1956. He graduated from New York University in 1978.
He has had a variety of work published in over 110 literary magazines, journals, and anthologies, in print and online. Since 2018, three of his poetry collections, a novel, and a novella have also been published.
Poetry: A Box Of Crazy Toys (Xenos Books); Bloodstream Is An Illusion Of Rubies Counting Fireplaces & Roller Coasters Made Of Dream Space (cyberwit.net). Novel & Novella: The Confession (cyberwit.net); The Vigil (Type Eighteen Books).
These books are featured on Peter’s Amazon Author site.
A collection of his one-act plays was published in 1983 by Dramatika Press.
Peter has taught language skills through art projects for LEAP
in the NYC public school system.
He is an artist himself: his work is featured on the Saatchi website.
He lives in Brooklyn.
************
SOCIAL MEDIA:
No comments:
Post a Comment