I really tried to like this book, but it was a straight-up snoozer for me. There's no question that Hanks can write. His prose is really quite good, but I just found this collection of short stories to be D.U.L.L. There are a couple kernels of stories that could be developed into full-blown books, but most are just odd and sad. It may just be that I am not a fan of literary fiction, but I have to wonder if this collection would have been published at all if not for Hanks' fame. It will be popular and in demand, though, so libraries should buy a copy.

I admit that I picked up this book because it was written by Tom Hanks. Yes, that Tom Hanks. I'm not usually much of a fan of short stories, but I thought I'd stretch myself a bit, and Tom Hanks is one of my favorite actors so I wanted to give his book a chance. There are stories on many different topics in different time periods, so if you enjoy short stories, there will be one for you. Some of the stories I liked more than others, and some I didn't like at all. Overall, I just don't think short stories are for me.

The different stories are fun and we'll written. I was pleasantly surpised.

Lovely stories, very well-written and affecting, stories I keep taking out and holding , turning this way and that in my mind. I keep mulling them over, each one told from a viewpoint both down to earth and completely unique. I highly recommend this book.

I saw this on NetGalley and knew that no number of reviews from even trusted sources would do. Patrons are going to want to know about this and "I read a good review" is not going to cut it. I like this actor but I'm not a die-hard fan; I probably haven't seen a quarter of his movies, although I would say that he is very versatile and all his characters are unique. That's impressive, but doesn't necessarily translate to being a good author-- I've panned several books written by good movie and TV writers. The format is too different. Assuming a movie writer could automatically write a good novel is like expecting a pianist to pick up guitar in 20 minutes.

The very first short story was the first short story I've ever read that didn't make me think, "huh, that would have made a really great novel." In fact, every short story was the perfect length.

What's even more amazing is that each character's voice is unique. AND, the narration in each story has a different flavor as well. Yet nothing was over the top or felt too reach-y. The language was beautiful, but in an unobtrusive way. Not "look at my effort, look at my ART." Even his female main characters read as pretty authentic. I'd be interested to see a novel next, but I couldn't even tell you which genre I'd prefer-- I was intrigued by his near-future "call it sci-fi" story, but his modern stories about a reoccurring group of friends had maybe the most authentic voices and his recent-historical fiction had the most moving character stories. I guess I just need 5 or 6 novels from this author and then we can choose.

I emailed the publisher part-way through my reading because there are some comma errors, some dropped open- or closed quotation marks (and, I think, for one whole story, some missing font or illustration or other indicator to call out parts) and this text deserves perfect proofreading. This is a collection you could recommend to 80-90% of readers. A must-have.

I don't love short story collections, but I decided to try this one. Mainly because of Mr. Hanks. What a wonderful collection! I truly hope he will write more!

Having always admired Tom Hanks as an actor and a human being, I am happy to say I can now give him a 5 star review as an author. When I requested Hanks' collection of short stories from Netgalley.com, I thought reading these might be like the old truism about watching a dog walk on 2 legs: it's not how well he does it but that he does it at all. Then I plunged into this delightful collection and discovered Mr. Hanks has a range as deep and wide as his dramatic performances. The title "Uncommon Type" and the themes of the stories within frequently bring you back to old manual typewriters. There are detailed miniatures of a range of these old machines after each story. In some stories there is barely a mention of a task being carried out on a typewriter, while one story is a paean to the craftsmanship of these machines. It is a unique theme to unite the tales, some of which are set back a few generations , while others are far in the future and another combines the old and new in a fascinating tale of time travel. Hanks' eye for detail makes each story rich with a sense of place. He has clearly done his research, whether it is on the subject of surfing, space travel or the theater. No doubt much of the verisimilitude comes from his own experiences as an actor, but it never feels added just to display his knowledge. The Uncommon Type of the title also focuses on the characters within each story, and this is where Hanks really shines. His appreciation for the common man and all his foibles makes the reader feel uplifted even when the ending takes an unexpected twist. I enjoyed every single story in this collection and look forward to Hanks trying his hand at a novel.