Uncommon Type Some Stories

One of the Best Books of the Year: NPR, USA Today

Wonderful. NPR

First-rate. Janet Maslin, The New York Times

  Funny, moving, deftly surprising. Carl Hiaasen

  [Hanks] is a delightful storyteller. Los Angeles Times

Wise and hilarious. Steve Martin

Accomplished and delightful. . . . Terrific. . . . Hanks proves his bona fides as a serious scribe. USA Today  

Offers heartfelt charm. . . . Even when Hanks writes about somber subjects . . . he finds a sweet spot. NPR
 
These stories are a hit. . . . There is life here, and humour, along with evocative moments of reflection on the state of the American dream. Financial Times

Delightful. . . . Moving. . . . Filled with warmth, comedy and wisdom, this companionable collection is as appealing as its author. BookPage

As charming and as (the descriptor has become unavoidable) all-American as the author himself. Time

A collection that showcases [Hanks s] love of words and typewriters. O, The Oprah Magazine

There is often a powerful sense of other lives imagined at a level that goes deeper than writerly research. The Guardian

A debut short story collection that s as engaging it is charming. Paste

The central quality to Tom s writing is a kind of poignant playfulness. It s exactly what you hope from him, except you wish he were sitting in your home, reading it aloud to you, one story at a time. Mindy Kaling

Skillfully crafted. . . . Smart and equally heartfelt, this collection is a must-read for fans of the actor and literary lovers alike. Bustle

Spiked with humor, whimsy and insight. . . . Mr. Hanks creates a strong sense of people, places and possibilities. . . . The short stories in Uncommon Type often explore what might have been, what was before (and after) the divorce, or the move, or the press junket gone awry. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Funny, wise, gloriously inventive and humane. Tom Hanks sees inside people a wary divorcee, a billionaire trading desire for disaster, a boy witnessing his father s infidelity, a motley crew shooting for the moon with such acute empathy and good humour we d follow him anywhere. Anna Funder, author of Stasiland and All That I Am

  Tom Hanks is a natural born storyteller. . . . He belongs to a tradition of American storytellers that includes Mark Twain or O Henry although there is a range of work in Uncommon Type that defies such a catch-all definition. . . . There is an ease in his writing and a pleasure in the reading. The Scotland Herald

Creative and funny. . . . Cut[s] right down to the bone of human nature. Austin Chronicle 

The stories in Uncommon Type range from the hilarious to the deeply touching. . . . All demonstrate a joy in writing, a pleasure in communicating an intensely American sense of atmosphere, friendship, life and family that is every bit as smart, engaging and humane as the man himself. Stephen Fry

Superbly observed. . . . [There is a] variety of voices here, all of them masterfully hewn and cosily embedded. Irish Independent

Delightful. . . . Hanks s prose is impressive, with a strong voice and stylistic flair. . . . Fluent, convincing and confident. The Times (London)