The Angel of Rome

Overwrought. Poorly written. Giving two stars instead of one because there were some sweet, poignant moments. However, not worth the effort or time to read. Characters were vapid and poorly developed. The context was unbelievable. Felt pulpy and like something I'd read in a workshop in my first year of my MFA program.

Don't sleep on this. Among the best short stories I've ever experienced.

This is a quirky, captivating, completely charming story. The pacing is excellent. The words flow beautifully. Nuggets of life wisdom dominate but aren't overstated. The writing is superb and accessible. The characters are loveable and complex in spite of the abbreviated form. The narrative is unpredictable. What more could you want?

Moral of the story: Do not exhaust the cheque you got from your father you never knew on a leather jacket.

A sum of $30 changed Jack “Nebraska” Rigel's - scholar of Latin and budding priest - directionless and passive existence turning the year in Rome into a memory that forged life-long friendships, changed lives for the better and had the experience many may need two lifetimes for.

“This is the problem with living in fantasies. We so often fail to account for ourselves being in them”

truer than truth