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Table for One
Ah, the pleasure of temporarily inhabiting characters imbued with so many of the flaws that most
of us strive to hide. Five stories, involving well more than five problem customers.
Milo Steddiman, a disgraced business titan, revisits his childhood town of Lincolnsville in “Full
Circle”, only to discover that the years spent away haven’t exactly erased the traces of
personality he’d left years before.
In “A Summer Tale”, Miss Dori sees a familiar-looking man in a barber chair, and is flooded with
memories of a rapturous summer decades before. Could this actually be Franklyn, who’d loved
and left her, who’d stolen her heart and soul before departing her life?
A husband takes the plunge and informs his wife of feelings he’s developed for another woman.
Being straightforward is such an admirable trait! The conversation, however, definitely does
NOT go in the direction he had hoped. Such is his reward for “Honesty.”
Unlike Miss Dori, Catherine actually found the man of her dreams in Thomas Gardiner Huntley.
And then they got married. Years later, Catherine is completing a “Jigsaw Puzzle,” her
primary ‘allowed’ hobby, and she reflects on how her choices resulted in such an intractable
situation, and what she can do to end it.
And to round out this 23,000-word collection of damaged goods, “Original Owner” opens a
window into Gerald, who’s been chucked by girlfriend after girlfriend. For Gerald has a problem
with those who have come before him romantically. And as he’s discovered with much agony,
there’s not a damn thing he can do to alter the past. Or his obsession with it.
An enticing group of stories! There’s nothing quite like being both horrified and relieved by
experiencing through words how those tricky blemishes in our own personalities could have
altered our lives….
of us strive to hide. Five stories, involving well more than five problem customers.
Milo Steddiman, a disgraced business titan, revisits his childhood town of Lincolnsville in “Full
Circle”, only to discover that the years spent away haven’t exactly erased the traces of
personality he’d left years before.
In “A Summer Tale”, Miss Dori sees a familiar-looking man in a barber chair, and is flooded with
memories of a rapturous summer decades before. Could this actually be Franklyn, who’d loved
and left her, who’d stolen her heart and soul before departing her life?
A husband takes the plunge and informs his wife of feelings he’s developed for another woman.
Being straightforward is such an admirable trait! The conversation, however, definitely does
NOT go in the direction he had hoped. Such is his reward for “Honesty.”
Unlike Miss Dori, Catherine actually found the man of her dreams in Thomas Gardiner Huntley.
And then they got married. Years later, Catherine is completing a “Jigsaw Puzzle,” her
primary ‘allowed’ hobby, and she reflects on how her choices resulted in such an intractable
situation, and what she can do to end it.
And to round out this 23,000-word collection of damaged goods, “Original Owner” opens a
window into Gerald, who’s been chucked by girlfriend after girlfriend. For Gerald has a problem
with those who have come before him romantically. And as he’s discovered with much agony,
there’s not a damn thing he can do to alter the past. Or his obsession with it.
An enticing group of stories! There’s nothing quite like being both horrified and relieved by
experiencing through words how those tricky blemishes in our own personalities could have
altered our lives….
- GenresShort Stories
90 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 16, 2012
3 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Kelley
357 books18 followersDaniel Kelley is an author and a music arranger. His fifth novel, Raffle Ticket, was published in October 2016. Nearly 700,000 books of Daniel’s compositions and arrangements have sold worldwide, and over 30,000 of his e-books have captivated readers. With lyricist JoEllen Doering, he also composed the music to the classic holiday song, “It's Christmas Time Again”.
Daniel mosaics, bakes constantly, annoys practically everyone with puns, is a massive EDM fan, and loves playing games of any kind, though Hearts is his current fave. In 2016, a mosaic of his won the Best of Show monetary prize at the Los Angeles County Fair. He and his wife Cynthia have three children and too many fish. Adair, Darcy and Adele are the names of the children.
Daniel mosaics, bakes constantly, annoys practically everyone with puns, is a massive EDM fan, and loves playing games of any kind, though Hearts is his current fave. In 2016, a mosaic of his won the Best of Show monetary prize at the Los Angeles County Fair. He and his wife Cynthia have three children and too many fish. Adair, Darcy and Adele are the names of the children.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 30, 2014
Table for One is an anthology of psychological short stories that reveal some of the darker moments and aspects of the human experience. If you are looking for romance or a happily ever after, this is NOT it. Readers who enjoy succinct psychological story telling that drops one into the epiphany moments of the protagonists will enjoy Daniel Kelley's tales.
"Full Circle" - Milo Steddiman's bitter musings on his experiences growing up surrounded by people who were unfair to him paint a clear picture of his still-flawed self perception.
In "A Summer Tale", 62-year-old Miss Dori glimpses a man she hasn't seen in over 40 years and is immediately transported in her mind to the summer romance they shared long ago.
"Honesty" details a conversation between a middle aged man and his wife when he decides to be honest with her about his attraction to a much younger woman at work. Sure, that is a good idea.
In "Jigsaw Puzzle", Cathy Huntley contemplates her troubled 16-year marriage as she assembles a complex jigsaw puzzle. Cathy is a likable heroine with quiet strength. This story is the more uplifting of the two that might be described as positive. (The other one is "A Summer Tale.")
"Original Owner" - Gerald laments his inability to sustain a relationship with a woman because of his irrational jealousy. This is a dark little vignette in which Gerald provides insight into his pathological thought processes. It is almost chilling how her refers to "the she's," dehumanizing the women with whom he had been intimate.
"Full Circle" - Milo Steddiman's bitter musings on his experiences growing up surrounded by people who were unfair to him paint a clear picture of his still-flawed self perception.
In "A Summer Tale", 62-year-old Miss Dori glimpses a man she hasn't seen in over 40 years and is immediately transported in her mind to the summer romance they shared long ago.
"Honesty" details a conversation between a middle aged man and his wife when he decides to be honest with her about his attraction to a much younger woman at work. Sure, that is a good idea.
In "Jigsaw Puzzle", Cathy Huntley contemplates her troubled 16-year marriage as she assembles a complex jigsaw puzzle. Cathy is a likable heroine with quiet strength. This story is the more uplifting of the two that might be described as positive. (The other one is "A Summer Tale.")
"Original Owner" - Gerald laments his inability to sustain a relationship with a woman because of his irrational jealousy. This is a dark little vignette in which Gerald provides insight into his pathological thought processes. It is almost chilling how her refers to "the she's," dehumanizing the women with whom he had been intimate.
August 2, 2014
Table for One is collection of short stories into the human character. Characteristics presented are selfishness, loathing, misery, hope, and happiness. Most of the people were interesting, rich, and bold. The stories were intriguing, bold, and fascinating. I look forward to more of this author's work in the future.
October 13, 2023
Great read
A wide variety of great stories, many with surprise endings. I enjoyed the way you must acquire information small tidbits at a time, in order to get the whole picture of the tale. Great read!
A wide variety of great stories, many with surprise endings. I enjoyed the way you must acquire information small tidbits at a time, in order to get the whole picture of the tale. Great read!
April 6, 2013
An engaging read, with multi-faceted characters in various phases of love and love lost. Kelley creates vivid pictures of men and women as they act out their needs and longings in five short stories. The crisp descriptions and references to small behavioral details provide the reader with the sense of being there, as if you lived in this place with them. Strong dialogue moves the stories along quickly. The author is skilled in weaving stories around memorable phrases and illusions to ponder, such as this from a disillusioned wife, "You are a promise that never comes true" and the woman who does crossword puzzles because "the solution is right there from the beginning.". Amusing character and place names, such as Steddiman for a real jerk of a man, and the Kiln Me Softly ceramics center keep the stories from becoming too anguished. Fewer exclamation points might be an improvement for the reading, however, I enjoyed this book and look forward to more from this author.Table for One
June 25, 2013
This is a collection of five stories, each one of which is quite good. They depict people a reader can easily relate to or who may even resemble parts of anyone’s life. After reading the first story, I only found that they got better as they went along. The situations are well presented, and though there is little dialogue, the main characters manage to convey all that is necessary for the plot to be developed and end well. Short stories are possibly harder to write than novels because there is such a short space and time to introduce the characters, setting and plot/storyline, develop the plot and bring it all to a successful conclusion that will be satisfying to the reader. This author has managed to succeed in doing all that, plus keep the reader remembering and wondering long after the story is over about the relationships the characters experienced and how they might have turned out for the reader or someone else. I received this book from Library Thing to read and review.
March 2, 2013
These 5 short stories are about every day people doing every day things. No super heroes, no super evil boogiemen trying to destroy the world, no zombies or vampires looking for their next victim; those things aren't needed to keep the reader involved. I started each story thinking, "What do I care? So what!" I wound up delving into the every day lives of every day people; their past dreams, their regrets, their longings. Overall, a very enjoyable and quick read. I am looking forward to more books by this author.
April 15, 2013
Table for One by Daniel Kelley is a well-written collection of short stories providing a view into the lives of very different people. Each story reinforces the understanding that you cannot judge a book by its cover as this writer peels back the layers of their lives revealing hopes, dreams, failures and compromises that shape their lives. Kelley has a unique ability to take the reader into a life and to provide a glimpse of the character's inner struggles and perceptions while providing an opportunity for reflection.
February 24, 2014
It was an easy-going reading which I liked very much. Daniel Kelley writes short stories which are grabed of the real life. Those stories could be experienced by everybody. In this book five persons declare their love life. Some are looking back what could have happened if years ago they would have done another twist in their relationship. They are lost in their memories and are very happy when they are returning to their present life. Others are struggling with their actual life and would like to know what the future will bring them.
(4 1/2 stars)
(4 1/2 stars)
February 18, 2014
I was given these short stories in exchange for an honest review.
These are all great stories! The author created very real characters. The stories each drew you in and made you feel like you were watching each person go through each situation and not just reading about it. The stories were weren't flawlessly and the author made each story stand out for different reasons. While my favorite was "Jigsaw Puzzle" the entire collection is a must read!
These are all great stories! The author created very real characters. The stories each drew you in and made you feel like you were watching each person go through each situation and not just reading about it. The stories were weren't flawlessly and the author made each story stand out for different reasons. While my favorite was "Jigsaw Puzzle" the entire collection is a must read!
March 20, 2013
It's hard to say what my favorite story was or who my favorite character is! Milo Steddiman reminded me of several guys from high school that I didn't want to see at my reunion! Catherine in Jigsaw Puzzle gave me hope for all strong women and adorable Miss Dori reminded me sadly of my own Great-Aunt. It's always a surprise to find an author who "catches" the essence of people.
May 13, 2013
"Table for One":Five very different, well written stories, that each
are good enough to have a whole book written about. This amazing
Author knows how to create believable characters in just a few
sentences.Looking forward to reading more of Daniel Kelley's work.
are good enough to have a whole book written about. This amazing
Author knows how to create believable characters in just a few
sentences.Looking forward to reading more of Daniel Kelley's work.
February 18, 2014
Received this Kindle e-book free from LibraryThing. What an excellent job Kelley has done - a delightful, short novel of 5 short stories that I read in one afternoon. All 5 stories very well developed, loved them all. Thanks!
April 6, 2015
Five character studies in five stories make up this collection. To me, they all centered around some kind of love story. Not always a happy ending love story. It is a quick read and well written. My thanks to the author and LibraryThing for a complimentary copy.
April 28, 2013
Really nice short stories, I especially enjoyed Miss Dori and Jigsaw. Quick read.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews